Morning Star
by JJScottishGirl
Summary: Sydney and Gage...a nice long two-hour episode (hmm.. maybe a mini-series!) as I would like to have seen it. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Yes!" Gage practically shouted as he returned the phone to its cradle and leapt from his chair. "Trivette, I have a date tonight with a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader!"  
  
"How did you pull that off?" asked Trivette, grinning in amusement at Gage's youthful exuberance and obvious delight.  
  
"Must be my charm." Gage replied, not catching Trivette's indulgent expression. "Last week, after we went to the game, just as you pulled away from the parking lot Jennifer just walked up to me and we got talking. I gave her my phone number, you know, in case she should ever need the services of a Texas Ranger."  
  
"Naturally." Trivette responded. "So, it's Jennifer is it?"  
  
"Mmmm, hmmm" replied Gage "Tall, blonde, blue eyes, legs that go on forever."  
  
"Sounds like a good match for you."  
  
Lost in his thoughts, Gage just mumbled "Mmmm, hmmm" again.  
  
Frozen, Sydney Cooke stopped just short of the office doors. Gage has a date tonight? Tonight? Well - tall, blonde, blue eyes, long legs, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Yep, sure sounded like someone would Gage would jump at the chance to go out with. And no denying it, Trivette was right, someone like that would be a good match for Gage.  
  
So why was she standing out here in the hallway, eavesdropping on this conversation? Straightening her shoulders, Sydney strode into the office, opening the door with significantly more force than was necessary.  
  
"Good morning Sydney!" Trivette spoke, shaking Gage out of his reverie.  
  
"Good morning." Sydney replied, trying her best to sound unshaken by the conversation she had heard, but failing somewhat. Her greeting sounded flat, especially to her own ears.  
  
Gage turned from his standing position at Trivette's desk, and being unable to read Syd's unsmiling expression, interpreted it as his partner's need for a cup of coffee. Striding over to the coffee pot he poured her a cup and brought it to her. In mock servitude he presented her with the cup.  
  
"Your beverage m'lady." Gage spoke, bowing as he placed the cup on her desk, giving her one of his patented All-American smiles.  
  
"Thank you." She spoke quietly and sat down at her desk.  
  
Gage looked at her quizzically. Normally such a ridiculous gesture either brought a smile to his partner's lips or a retort that she didn't need to be served and was capable of getting her own coffee, thank you very much. Today, it elicited nothing but an uncharacteristically quiet thank you. He was about to ask if she was alright when Trivette spoke with great enthusiasm.  
  
"So, Sydney – have you heard about Gage's hot date tonight? He's going out with a Dallas cheerleader."  
  
"Really? Wow, that's great Gage." Syd tried to sound bright. "Congratulations. I'm sure that you'll have a great time."  
  
Trivette immediately noticed the shift in Syd tone and the false brightness which punctuated every word. He studied the way that Syd was avoiding Gage's gaze, yet trying to look interested. How had he not noticed this before?  
  
"Thanks Syd. I was thinking of taking her to Lyman's, over on 48th, what do you think? Not too intimate for a first date, but fancy enough to show that she's special."  
  
"I really wouldn't know Gage."  
  
"Aw, c'mon Syd, you've got the woman's perspective and all. How would you feel if a first date took you to Lyman's?"  
  
"Gage..." sighing, but then covering it with a cough, Syd replied. "I am sure that Lyman's will be great. You are the one with all the expertise in dating, after all. Umm, look guys, I missed my morning workout today so I think I'll head down to the gym."  
  
"Want some company? I'm sure I could use a good workout to get ready for my date tonight."  
  
Before Syd could respond, Trivette spoke up.  
  
"Actually Gage, I uh, really need your help on these files."  
  
"Sorry Syd, duty calls." Gage rolled his eyes and headed over to Jimmy's desk, not even realizing that Syd had not responded to his suggestion.  
  
Her coffee untouched, Syd left the office. 


	2. Chapter 2

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Pounding out frustrations that she couldn't even, didn't even, want to begin to understand, Syd worked out until she ached all over. What was the matter with her? So what that she hadn't had a date herself for months. So what that her life was basically work, she loved her job and had to invest just that little bit more than the guys to keep herself in their game. So what that she had come to count on Gage being unattached too and always being there to share a movie and pizza on a Friday night.  
  
Gage. With a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader. Growling Syd punched the bag with renewed energy. She was jealous. Plain and simple. But, jealous because he had a date and she didn't? Jealous because Gage wouldn't be coming over tonight as they had planned weeks ago?  
  
Jealous because Gage would never take her out to Lyman's?  
  
With that last thought, Syd's head began to hurt. She gave the bag one last punch and then, catching the bag in both arms, rested her head against it for a moment. Then, with a resigned sigh and shaking her head as if to clear all the unwanted, unbidden, thoughts from her mind, she grabbed her gear bag and headed to the showers.  
  
From the shadows Cordell Walker looked on in silence. He had walked in several minutes ago and had been about to greet Sydney when he noticed the almost frantic way in which she was working out. He recognized in her actions a frustration which he had felt many times before in his life. He didn't know what was bothering her but he did know to leave well enough alone. Syd was a very private individual, like himself, and she didn't open her heart and soul to just anyone. She was a good Texas Ranger but it was clear, at least to him, that she still had some demons to battle with. He hoped that today's workout helped her come one step closer to the peace that he himself had only recently found with Alex and Angela.  
  
*********************************************  
  
Showered and feeling somewhat refreshed Syd returned to the office where Trivette and Gage were still sorting through files. She could hear Gage whining loudly about doing paperwork and Trivette reminding the younger Ranger that the job was not all about takedowns and car chases. Syd smiled to herself, as did Jimmy. It seemed like only yesterday that it was Trivette that was complaining while Walker led his junior partner through the ropes.  
  
"I'm back boys." Syd announced as she entered the room. She noticed that her coffee cup had been emptied and returned to the tray beside the coffee pot. Wondering if it was Gage or Jimmy who had noticed that she hadn't touched her first cup; she headed straight over and poured herself a cup, savouring the aroma. Not the freshest coffee she had ever had but not bad. Her head still hurt a little and she hoped that the caffeine was just the thing she needed to take the edge off.  
  
"Hey Syd." Gage looked up as she came in. "Have a good workout? I would have loved to have come but Trivette has kept me here pouring over old records that I am sure he should have looked at three weeks ago when this paperwork was due."  
  
Jimmy grinned sheepishly at Sydney. "Well, you know how much I love filing things."  
  
"Uh, huh." Sydney smiled at them both affectionately. They both knew that Sydney was never late filling in her paperwork and had never been reprimanded by either Walker or Briscoe. To emphasize that point, she sat down and pulled the top file on her desk towards her and began silently making notes in it.  
  
The next hour or so passed in companionable silence, each of the Rangers working at their own desks. For once Gage seemed to sense that Syd was not in the most talkative mood and left her alone; refraining from the usual taunts and teasing that often accompanied a day spent in the office. When the phone rang though, Gage grabbed for it, there was only so much sitting and being quiet that he could handle.  
  
"Mmmm, hmm. Got it. We'll be right there Alex." Gage hung up and his friends waited expectantly. "Guys, we've got trouble. There's been a prison break and Les Myser, the guy Syd and I just put away last week on drug charges, has escaped."  
  
"Where does Alex want us?" asked Syd, immediately standing up and arming herself with her gun.  
  
"Walker is on his way to the jail, Trivette – he wants you to meet him there. Syd and I are going to the hideaway where Myser's girlfriend Rebecca has been holed up since he was arrested. It's doubtful he'll head there straightaway, I'm sure he knows we are familiar with it but it's the best starting place."  
  
"Okay, you guys be careful." Trivette armed himself with his gun too, threw on his hat, and headed out the door seconds before Gage and Sydney. "Stay in touch."  
  
"Always, Jimmy. You too."  
  
Within minutes their two cars were both heading down the highway, each in a different direction. Trivette headed north to meet with Walker, Sydney and Gage sped off in Syd's car to the southwest towards Rebecca Jenkin's place and hopefully the first place that Les Myser would turn up. 


	3. Chapter 3

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 3  
  
The woman driving the car was not the sullen woman who had entered Company B this morning. Sydney Cooke was a Ranger on a mission, carefully watching the road, all the while zipping around and in front of slower cars. Gage turned to watch his partner drive and noticed the determined purse of her lips and the unyielding way in which she commanded the vehicle. Impressed, he couldn't help but comment.  
  
"Whoa Syd, I think you've been driving with me too long. You're turning into a regular speed demon." He grinned at her, hoping to elicit a smile.  
  
"You really want to see Myser get away? Are you forgetting all those kids who were hurt in the tainted batch of coke he distributed?" Syd snapped at Gage, and then continued, almost under her breathe. "And I think you'd appreciate my efforts, I'm sure you wouldn't want to be late for your hot date tonight."  
  
Gage studied his partner with surprise. Since when had his romantic pursuits become an issue? What was with Syd today anyways? Hurt that she wasn't being more supportive of his effort to meet new people; Gage turned in his seat and lashed back at Syd.  
  
"Just because you're probably going to spend the night sitting in your apartment, watching some sappy romantic movie, instead of getting out there and actually having a life, doesn't mean that you have to rain on my parade."  
  
"Oh, it's a parade now is it? A parade for Jennifer, the beautiful Dallas Cowboys cheerleader with legs that go on forever. How lucky for her. Not many women get a parade on the first date. But, then again, as a cheerleader, I suppose she might expect one."  
  
Syd could not believe these words were actually coming from her mouth. Shut up Sydney, a little voice in her head finally penetrated her conscious thoughts. Now is not the time, and anyways, what do you care – Gage is your partner, your best friend, be happy for him.  
  
"Syd, what is going..." Gage had turned again to stare at his partner, his mouth dropping open. Never, in all the time they had been together, had Syd ever spoken to him with such bitterness in her voice.  
  
"We're here. Let's go check it out." Syd had stopped the car in the thick bushes, just off the dirt road which led to Rebecca Jenkins's place, and was stepping out the driver's door, gun in hand.  
  
Pushing all questions aside, Gage stepped out the passenger door, and pulling his gun crouched low to the ground and followed Sydney towards the small, isolated, rundown house.  
  
A dilapidated shed surrounded by weeds and two rusty, broken-down, pick-up trucks; it was hard to believe that anyone lived there. But as Sydney and Gage moved closer a young woman, several months pregnant, stepped out the front door and carried a basket of wet laundry to a rusty rotating clothesline and began to hang up an assortment of white clothes.  
  
"Rebecca?" Gage mouthed to Sydney and she nodded in return.  
  
"No tire tracks." Sydney whispered to Gage as she moved closer to him. "I don't think Myser's been here yet."  
  
"What do you want to do?" Gage whispered in return.  
  
"I think we should do a full sweep of the exterior, after she goes inside, just make sure he isn't here and then we'll have to stake it out. Sorry Gage, you might have to miss that date after all."  
  
"Syd..." Gage whispered but she was gone, motioning to him that she would start her sweep from the left and he could go to the right.  
  
As soon as Rebecca Jenkins moved inside, the Rangers began their sweep of the exterior. Moving swiftly, but carefully and low to the ground, each of them managed to cover a lot of area in just a few minutes. They met up again, about half-way around the back of the property, each with nothing to report.  
  
"We should go back to the front again." Gage whispered to Sydney as they met up. "That's the best vantage point to see someone coming and get back to the car if we need to get out of here."  
  
Nodding in agreement, Syd led the way back to a location near the first place they had stopped. It was a place where soft moss covered the ground, making it an ideal location for sitting for a long period of time, and it ensured concealment as it was surrounded by some of the thickest bushes on the property.  
  
When they got there, Syd called Walker and Gage kept lookout. Keeping her voice as hushed as possible, Syd relayed their location to Walker and informed him of their plans.  
  
"Okay, will do. 9:00." Syd ended her conversation and put her cell phone back in her pocket. "Walker wants us to stay here. Check-in is at 9:00 and he'll reassess then if Myser hasn't shown up. He definitely had help at the prison, two guards are down with knife wounds to the abdomen, one critical, and Myser escaped in an unmarked black delivery van."  
  
Gage nodded and then sat down next to Syd, ensuring that each of them had a clear view through the bushes of both the road in and the house. They sat there in silence, partly as a requirement of their job and partly because neither was sure what to say to the other.  
  
Gage was the one to finally break the silence.  
  
"Syd, how did you know that my date's name tonight was Jennifer? I told Trivette that before you came into the office this morning."  
  
"Gage, just drop it." Syd whispered menacingly.  
  
"Is that why you came in so disturbed this morning that you didn't even touch a drop of your coffee? Were you listening outside the office door?"  
  
"Gage, I said drop it." Syd refused to look at him.  
  
"C'mon Syd. Does it really bother you that I had a date?"  
  
"Gage." Syd whispered, this time so softly that he could barely hear her. "Please."  
  
Something about Syd's demeanour and the way she asked him to stop pulled him up short. Was Syd actually jealous? Had he hurt her somehow by flaunting his good fortune? He knew that like himself, she hadn't had a real date in months. Most of the time it was just the two of them, ending up together for dinner and a quiet night in after a day of hard work.  
  
They continued to sit for several hours, this time the silence between them one of confusion and frustration. Finally Gage spoke again.  
  
"I've got to stretch my legs. And I'm starving. I'm going to sneak back to the car and snag your emergency stash of food. You okay?"  
  
"You and your stomach." Syd finally replied as Gage stood up to go and, looking up at him, gave him the briefest of smiles.  
  
Feeling about a thousand times better than he had minutes earlier, Syd's jibe about his stomach and her smile, however faint, reassuring him that things were okay between them, Gage scampered off towards the car using the last light of day to see where he was going.  
  
He returned about 20 minutes later to find Syd still sitting, but she had pulled her knees up to her chest and was resting her head there, hugging herself tightly.  
  
"Syd?" He whispered gently. Okay, he was right. There was something wrong. Syd never sat like that, not his tough girl. She was brave and daring and could kick ass with the best of them and she never sat looking like a little girl who has lost her best friend.  
  
Gage could have sworn he heard a sniffle, but her voice moments later sounded strong and clear. She turned to look at him but the dark had settled in around them and he could no longer see her features.  
  
"Here Gage. Do you feel better?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. Look I brought back your stash of food and a blanket. I figure we might need it if we're here too much longer. Good thing we took your car, I don't think I restocked my car after the last stakeout we did."  
  
"Gage, your car wasn't stocked at the last stakeout. You stopped at the convenience store and bought junk food on the way."  
  
"Oh yeah." Gage whispered smiling and settling in next to Syd again. How had she remembered that? "Here you go Shorty. Your stash, you get first choice."  
  
"Gage?"  
  
"Mmmm, hmmm?"  
  
"Will you please stop calling me that?"  
  
Puzzled but not wanting to hurt or upset her anymore than he apparently, but unknowingly, already had he nodded and replied tenderly.  
  
"Sure Syd."  
  
"Thanks Gage. I just..."  
  
Wanting more than anything to figure out what was going on in her head, but knowing that a stakeout for a dangerous drug dealer was not the best time to do it, Gage just nudged her gently with his shoulder and said,  
  
"Syd, pick something to eat." 


	4. Chapter 4

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Both Syd and Gage felt remarkably better after they wolfed down two energy bars each and had split a bottle of water. Neither had eaten lunch and the dinner hour had long since passed. And in that time not a single soul had been seen down the long, lonely road to Rebecca Jenkins' place. Rebecca herself had only emerged once and that was to bring in the laundry that she had been hanging when the Rangers had arrived.  
  
Another hour passed and Syd, stretching her legs and moving to stand, whispered to Gage that she really needed to go to the bathroom.  
  
"Don't go far Syd. Its dark, I can't see anything – just go over there by that tree." And Gage pointed to the shadow of a large tree that they could both just barely make out through the moonlight that illuminated the road to Rebecca's forlorn little shack.  
  
Syd did as he asked; not that she cared so much about privacy but rather that she wanted to keep an eye and an ear on her partner as well. The twenty minutes that he had been gone to the car and back had felt like an eternity and she was willing to admit herself, if not Gage, that she had been a little bit afraid.  
  
When she returned to their little nest-like area on the soft moss, Syd crawled completely under the blanket the Gage had brought back from her car and, the light from her cell phone hidden to the world, made the 9:00 check- in call to Walker. As she emerged from the blanket Gage, concentrating on what his hands were doing, gently tucked the blanket around her shoulders and secured it in the front with a light crossing of the edges.  
  
As she looked at her partner, his face slightly illuminated in the moonlight, he looked up to meet her eyes and smiled, unsure of what reaction to expect.  
  
"Thought you might be getting cold Syd." Gage spoke in an almost reverant tone that sent shivers through Syd's body. She loved his voice. She had told him that once; when she thought he couldn't hear and thought she might never hear his voice again. She wondered again if he had actually heard her that day in the hospital.  
  
"You okay?" Gage spoke again, noticing her shivering, even with the blanket on.  
  
Syd broke eye contact with Gage, and taking the front edges of the blankets from his hands, their fingers lightly rubbing against each other as he let go, Syd pulled the blanket tighter around her body.  
  
"I'm fine, thank you. Looks like it will be a long night; Walker says stay here until morning. We'll call in again at 8:00 am and if Myser's still a no show then they'll send a new team in to cover the area."  
  
Gage nodded but then for some reason beyond her understanding, and almost beyond her control, Syd added, "I guess you really won't be making that date after all."  
  
"Syd, what is it with you and this date that I was supposed to have?" Gage practically exploded in her face.  
  
"Not now Gage. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. Just ignore me." Looking away from him Sydney pulled the blanket even tighter around her body, her fingers gripping the edges so forcefully that her knuckles were going white.  
  
"No, Syd, now – you keep bringing it up. Not me. Am I not allowed to have a personal life?" Gage was whispering but Syd could hear the frustration in each one of his syllables. "Are you jealous that I'm the one with a date and you haven't managed to connect with anybody these past few months? Or can you simply not believe that I might actually be able to carry off a serious relationship with anybody? What is it Syd?"  
  
"Gage...I..."  
  
"C'mon, what Syd?" Gage was practically hissing at her now, their faces only inches apart.  
  
"I don't know!" Syd looked up at him fiercely and as their eyes made contact again, Gage could see that hers were filled with a confusion mirroring his own, but also fear. Syd? Scared? He immediately backed down; he hadn't meant to corner her like this. He reached up and touched her face with his right hand, lightly running his thumb over her cheek, doing what felt natural to quell the fear he saw in her eyes.  
  
"Syd? I...." Gage began.  
  
Just then the headlights of a large black delivery type van illuminated the roadway and the roar of the truck interrupted their intimate pose, and the Rangers immediately disentangled themselves and sprung into action.  
  
Syd dove under the blanket again and hit re-dial on her cell phone. "Walker, its Syd. A black van is here, we need back-up."  
  
Gage meanwhile had moved into a crouching position and was slowly inching forward in the bushes to get a better look at the action. Throwing the blanket off, Syd moved forward, following her partner and pulling her gun out. Gage stopped a few feet from their stakeout position and Syd halted immediately behind him, her left hand lightly touching his back as she steadied herself.  
  
His gun pulled too, Gage looked up at Syd as she settled in next to him, and motioned to her to go the right. Syd nodded and headed off into the bushes, stealthily creeping as silent as a cat. Despite the light now illuminating the weed-covered yard and reflecting off the sad little house, Syd disappeared into the darkness within seconds.  
  
The large van came to a screeching halt outside Rebecca Jenkins' and the side door slid open. Out jumped Les Myers, still in prison orange, with a loud yell,  
  
"Becky baby, I'm home!"  
  
The lights in the ramshackle home suddenly went on and the front door flew open. "Les! Oh my god, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm out baby, I'm out. Told you no jail could hold me." Les Myers ran towards the house and ran into Rebecca Jenkins open arms.  
  
"C'mon honey." she said, beginning to panic, hurrying Les into the house. "We gotta get you out of these."  
  
Even a scumbag like Les Myers has someone waiting at home for him, thought Syd, as she crept closer to the house. Where is the justice in that?  
  
As Syd kept a close eye on the house, Gage moved in to get a closer look on the van. As he crept towards the edge of the property and hid behind one of the rusty, broken pick-up trucks, three hefty looking guys stepped from the van. One stood guard at the van, and lighting a cigarette, leaned on the open driver's side door. The other two headed for the house.  
  
"Damn!" cursed Gage. We're outnumbered and three of the four are the house with a pregnant civilian. I've got a clear shot on this one guy but the moment he's down...I'll have to wait for back-up.  
  
Just then, three squad cars raced down the dirt path to the house, sirens wailing and lights flashing. Gage took a shot at the van driver and nicked him on the shoulder. One down.  
  
As soon as she heard the sirens and the shot fired, Sydney jumped up from her hiding position next to the house and kicked in the door.  
  
"Texas Rangers!" Gage heard her yell as the door swung open from the force of Syd's kick and he moved swiftly to provide her backup. As the door opened a hail of bullets sprayed out the door and Gage saw Syd fall down from the porch and to the side of the door. Hard. Why hadn't she waited until he was closer?  
  
Racing to her side Gage turned her over. Breathing heavily and bleeding from her leg and shoulder, Syd looked up at him and said,  
  
"Get him."  
  
Hating to leave her but knowing what he had to do, Gage crept along the edge of the house to the door, and waiting for a signal from the police officers beginning to surround the house, yelled inside.  
  
"Texas Rangers! Les Myser, come out with your hands up. We know Rebecca's in there, and she's pregnant. Let her go. Ma'am, we don't want to harm you."  
  
Les Myser appeared at the door moments later, his arm around Rebecca's neck and a gun pointed at her head. "Yes, gentleman. Wouldn't want to let an innocent woman expecting a baby get hurt would you? I am going to walk out of here and to my van. You will not stop me or attempt to stop me. If you do, she's dead."  
  
"What are you doing Les?" Rebecca's voice was shrill. "I did everything you asked! I have been waiting here in this dump for you. I'm carrying our baby. Your son! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"  
  
Les responded by tightening his grasp on her and elongating her throat by tilting her head back, thus rendering her unable to speak.  
  
Just then the world seemed to explode around Gage. The rear window in the cabin was broken as Walker leapt through it and surprising the two thugs inside, immediately subdued them. Trivette burst from the other side of the house and meeting Gage at the front door turned suddenly and shot out the two front wheels of the van. The rear wheels of the van were blown out by two cops securing the roadway. And a final shot rang out from beside Gage that hit Les Myser straight in the back, on the right side, missing Rebecca Jenkins entirely, and causing Myser to let go of her and stumble to the ground.  
  
Then the world was silent. As if in slow motion, Gage looked over to see who had fired the final shot, and saw Sydney standing there, leaning against the porch, clutching her bleeding leg with one hand and holding her gun in the other.  
  
"Syd!" Leaping down from the porch, Gage reached Syd as she passed out, dropping her gun and collapsing into his arms. "Walker, Trivette! Syd's been shot."  
  
It was as if in a dream that Francis Gage heard Walker call in Syd's injury over the CB, and watch as the two senior Rangers first secured Les Myser, then Rebecca Jenkins and finally made their way over to the porch where Gage knelt holding Syd in his lap, her head cradled in his shoulder, his right hand applying pressure to the gunshot wound on her left leg. Her breathe was shallow but he could feel it steady against his skin, in the crook of his neck, just above the collar of his shirt.  
  
"C'mon Syd." he coaxed, more to calm himself than anything, he was sure she had passed out from the pain and blood loss and could not hear him. "You got him; you shot Myser and missed Rebecca and the baby. I don't know how you did it but you did. Wake up Shorty. I know you asked me not to call you that, but c'mon, wake up and tell me again. C'mon Syd, you're scaring me."  
  
As he spoke the words, he admitted them to himself. It's true, he really was scared. Syd was his partner, his best friend; he counted on her more than he counted on anyone else in the world. She was there when he was sad, when he was happy, when he was....scared.  
  
"Gage?" her voice was hoarse and faint, and he felt her try to sit up.  
  
"Syd!" Gage gently stroked her hair and temple with his left hand. "Shh...don't move honey, you've been shot. The paramedics are on their way but until they get here, you're stuck with me."  
  
"Wouldn't want ..." Syd began, her head lolling back into his shoulder, and her voice faded, almost to a murmur, "...to be stuck ....with...anybody else..."  
  
Smiling, in spite of himself, Gage held onto to Sydney just a little bit tighter and continued to stroke her hair; even as the ambulance arrived and the paramedics unpacked their supplies and hurried towards them. 


	5. Chapter 5

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"Gage?" Syd awoke the next morning in the hospital, groggy and confused.  
  
"No Sydney, its Alex." Alex Cahill-Walker reached for Syd's hand and smiled to herself at the first name the young Ranger spoke since being brought into the hospital several hours earlier. "How are you feeling honey? Here, let's try to sit you up."  
  
"Alex? Why...why... are you here?" Syd seemed muddled for a moment, and then her eyes clearing, looked to Alex with panic. "Gage? Is he alright? What about Walker? Trivette?"  
  
"Gage is fine Sydney. Everyone is, don't worry. You're the one we're worried about. You were pretty badly injured last night and we didn't want to leave you alone. Since the guys all had to be in the office first thing this morning to deal with the paperwork on the case, I volunteered to come and pull first shift."  
  
Well, that's actually not quite true, thought Alex; Gage was really on first shift. He had spent all night in the hospital waiting with Syd and keeping a close watch on her. The way Alex had heard it from Walker, the paramedics couldn't pry his partner from Gage's arms at the scene of the showdown, and it was only with great reluctance and assurances that it was absolutely necessary, that Gage had released her into the care of the emergency room doctors.  
  
"What happened? Did we get Myser?" Syd's questions brought Alex back to the present. "I feel pretty awful. I remember kicking open the door to the house and it's all kind of fuzzy after that."  
  
Well, that's actually not quite true, thought Syd. I do remember falling and the world felt like it was spinning, and then I saw Gage jump off the porch and as soon as he caught me in his strong arms I just let go and allowed the darkness to take over.  
  
"You were shot Sydney. Two times, but fortunately neither wound looks too serious."  
  
As if noticing her own body for the first time since waking up, Syd looked down to see her petite body covered in bandages and wires. She had an IV and oxygen tubes, actually she could barely move in the bed she was so laden down with hospital equipment.  
  
"The injury on your shoulder was superficial and had stopped bleeding by the time you arrived at the hospital. The one on your leg though was much more severe. It was still bleeding heavily when you arrived and they had to remove the bullet. I know you required at least 2 blood transfusions. But the good news is that it missed the bone and should cause no permanent damage."  
  
Alex held Syd's hand as she delivered the news about her injuries and watched as Syd breathed in a deep sigh of relief upon hearing that there would be no permanent damage. Alex understood, permanent damage would likely have meant removal from the Texas Rangers, and being a Ranger was more than a job, it was a calling.  
  
Just then the doctor walked in and smiled at both Syd and Alex, pleased to see his patient conscious and alert. Knowing that the doctor would want to see his patient in private, Alex patted Syd's hand one more time and stepped out into the hallway to call Walker.  
  
"Gage, Trivette. Good news! Sydney's awake and meeting with her doctor right now." Walker called out to his comrades as he finished his conversation with Alex.  
  
"That's great!" Jimmy smiled the big goofy grin he always got on his face when he was genuinely pleased with something. "I told you she'd be fine Gage! See, it was a good thing that you finally let go of her and let the doctors look after her."  
  
Smiling up at Trivette and beginning to turn red from embarrassment, he just knew Trivette would get a lot of mileage over this one, Gage finally let his shoulders relax and took a deep breathe to fill his lungs.  
  
"That you did Trivette, that you did."  
  
Gage had spent the morning embroiled in paperwork, something he dreaded on any day, never mind the day that his partner, that Syd, was in the hospital recovering from gunshot wounds. He was exhausted; they had been on stakeout all yesterday afternoon and well into the evening which had been tiring enough even without the confusing way that Syd had been acting, and then she was shot and Gage had managed to stay alert through pure adrenalin until he was sure that she was okay. He had then waited outside her hospital room until early in the morning when Walker came by, left Alex there and instructed Gage to go home, shower, change and report immediately to the office.  
  
The files swimming in front of his eyes, Gage pushed himself away from the desk. "Walker, I'm pretty sure I got all the details done about the Myser case. My cell will be on if you need me, I've got to get out of here."  
  
Walker merely nodded in understanding, and reaching up patted the younger Ranger on the back as he left the office. "Good job yesterday. Both of you."  
  
"Syd's the one who did it." Gage stepped out the office and, choosing the stairs over the elevator, was soon on ground level, then outside and on his bike speeding mindlessly home.  
  
When he arrived home Gage walked through to his bedroom and kicking off his shoes, lay down on the bed. As he was closing his eyes a blue shirt thrown carelessly on the ground caught his attention and he sat up suddenly and studied it. It was the shirt he had been wearing yesterday, the shirt he had been wearing when he held Syd as she lay unconscious in his arms. It was covered in blood, her blood, and Gage just stared at it, not knowing what to do. Part of him wanted to throw the shirt across the room or out the window, rip it up or burn it, anything to get rid of this reminder of yesterday's trauma. The other part of him wanted to hold the shirt tight, reminding himself that Syd was strong, acknowledging that he was stronger when she was with him.  
  
After a few minutes of quiet internal debate, Gage chose the latter and curled up on his bed clutching the blood-stained shirt. 'I need her,' thought Gage, 'I don't know what I'd do with out her, I really need her.' And then as he drifted to sleep, another thought almost jolted him awake. 'What does that mean?' 


	6. Chapter 6

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 6  
  
The hours passed in a haze for Syd. Exhaustion, combined with powerful pain medication, caused her to sleep away much of the day. Alex visited with her for most of the morning and by late afternoon both Walker and Trivette had checked in on her. But by the evening, when visiting hours were almost over, Syd was growing increasing hurt by the fact that Gage had yet to stop by.  
  
Despite herself, Syd began to think that maybe Gage was too busy on a make- up date with his cheerleader to come and visit. His no show at her bedside was confusing. Gage was her friend, they were best friends, and even if he did have a date, surely he would pop in and check on her. Didn't he care at all that she had been shot?  
  
About 10 minutes to 9:00 that night, while staring straight ahead and pushing pity for herself aside, anger growing with the minute at Gage's inconsideration, there was a light rapping at the door and her partner poked his head inside.  
  
"Good - you're awake!" smiling, Gage stepped into the room. She looked so small in the bed, her petite frame weighed down with the tubing, wires and heavy bandages. Gage fought the overwhelming instinct to race to her, hold her and protect her from all the Les Mysers in the world. He knew that Syd would never allow such a gesture but when she spoke he was very glad he had restrained himself.  
  
"Thank you so much for coming to visit me today Gage. I really appreciate all your care and concern. As you can see I am fine, so go back home or go back to your date or go back to doing whatever else is important in your life, your services are not needed here." The words, dripping with scorn, exploded from Syd's mouth and were delivered without eye contact.  
  
Stunned, Gage's mouth dropped open for the second time in as many days, thoroughly confused by his partner's tone of voice and the bitterness in her words that was so unlike Syd. He recovered quickly though, having expected her to be bit upset by his delay in visiting her. Truth be told, he had been scared to see her in the hospital, and had been building up the courage to come inside for a couple of hours.  
  
"Sydney.' Her full first name sounded funny coming from his lips, and she looked up. "I am not on a date. I did not have a date today; I do not have a date tonight. I have been here, at the hospital, since 6:30 trying to work up the courage to come in here and see you. This is what is important right now in my life. I'm sorry it took me a while to get here but I am here now – don't you try to shut me out."  
  
Startled by the forceful reaction of her usually mild-mannered partner, Syd was taken aback. Before she knew it and before she could stop them, tears began streaming down her face and she could not speak, her attempt at words turning into a choking sound.  
  
"Oh Syd." Before either knew what was happening Gage had stepped across the room and was sitting on the edge of her bed, holding her tightly in his arms. His hands rubbed her back gently; he whispered comforting words into her hair. She clutched her arms tightly to her own body but rested her face against his strong chest, her tears quickly soaking the fabric, and allowed him to console her.  
  
Syd had never cried in front of Gage before. In fact, she rarely cried, usually channelling her sorrow about things into aggression, which she most often put to use at the gym. And now here she was, in his arms, crying uncontrollably and for no reason other than he had taken a long time to come and visit her? Slowly Syd was able to rein in her emotions and her sobs turned to sniffles. A tissue appeared from nowhere and Syd gratefully took it and blew her nose.  
  
Gage didn't want to let her go. He had slept all afternoon holding the blood-covered shirt, wishing he could be holding her, and now here he was, his arms tightly around her, and he did not ever want to let go. But he did as he felt her stiffen in his arms and make small motions to sit up straight.  
  
Avoiding his gaze, Syd was the first one to speak.  
  
"I'm sorry I accused you of not caring about me. I was just so hurt that everyone else had come to see me when..." her voice got so soft he could barely hear her, "...when it was you I wanted to see most of all."  
  
"Syd." Gage took his finger and tilted her chin up, creating a pose far more intimate than he had any right to do, "I'm sorry I hurt you, that was never my intention. You have to know that."  
  
Syd nodded, looking deep into his blue eyes.  
  
"I know Gage. I know." Lifting her head away from his finger, Syd cleared her throat and shook her head. "Now, what do you know about getting me contraband? I have been craving a chocolate bar all day but the nurses have refused my bribes and ignored my threats and..."  
  
Gage grinned at Syd and opened his jacket to reveal an inside pocket filled with three chocolate bars. "Take your pick."  
  
"I'll take this one for now, this one for later and...this one for tomorrow."  
  
"You're taking them all? You're leaving none for me?" Gage feigned indignation. "Why, if I had known that you would pull such a stunt I would never have..."  
  
Just then a nurse walked in and found the two of them there laughing, Gage still sitting on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Sorry Ms. Cooke, visiting hours are now over. I am afraid your guest will have to leave."  
  
Syd nodded, as did Gage, and the nurse exited the private room.  
  
Serious again, Gage looked at Syd. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come in."  
  
"Me too." replied Syd, "But I'm glad you're here now. Thank you."  
  
"Syd?"  
  
"Mmm, hmm?"  
  
"You know that you were great yesterday? The way you took down Myser, missing Rebecca, and all the while you were injured and bleeding. I'm so proud to call you my partner."  
  
"Thank you." Syd looked up in wonder at Gage, smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow?"  
  
"First thing partner, I promise. Now, you get a good night's sleep and I'll be here to take you home as soon as they release you. Okay?  
  
Syd nodded as Gage stood up. He was about to leave when, unable to stop himself, he leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead.  
  
"Good night Syd."  
  
"Good night Gage." Syd sighed lightly, settling back into the bed, and waving as he left the room. Then, with the feel of his lips still on her forehead, she fell asleep. 


	7. Chapter 7

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 7  
  
The next morning Syd was met at the hospital by her small, but close-knit, gang of well wishers. Walker, Alex carrying Angela, Trivette, Erica, and Gage practically burst into her room as soon as visiting hours began.  
  
"Alright Ranger Cooke, we are springing you out of here!" Jimmy announced. "The doctors are processing your paperwork as we speak." He leaned over and gave her a big hug, followed by Erica.  
  
Walker reached down and patted Syd on the shoulder as Alex, leaning down and giving Syd a kiss on the cheek, passed Angela into her arms. Angela cooed and gurgled in delight at Syd and immediately settled into her arms. Now free of all the wires and tubing Syd looked far less like a patient who had received serious injuries only two days earlier.  
  
Unfortunately Angela's comfort in Syd's arms only last a minute and she began to cry for her parents. Syd tried to lift her up but found it was too much strain on her injured shoulder. Walker, seeing her problem, scooped his daughter from Syd's arms and cuddled her until she stopped fussing.  
  
Gage stood back from the situation, relieved and pleased to see Syd looking so much better. He felt odd though, he was there for Syd but he wasn't with her. Well, he was with her, they were partners but he wasn't with her – not the way Walker was with Alex or Trivette was with Erica. Did Syd feel as funny as him?  
  
Their relationship was unusual Gage admitted, they did so many things together outside of work from Syd attending his high school reunion to spending evenings at each other's place watching movies and ordering take- out to buying joint wedding gifts. It was as if they were a couple yet, in so many ways, they were not. She had kissed him that once, after Walker and Alex's plane had landed safely. Gage tried not to think about how much he had enjoyed that kiss, he had been kissed by many girls over the years and he knew that one kiss did not a romantic relationship make. Yet with Syd, somehow, it seemed so much more, though that had been a long time ago and nothing of that intimate a nature had happened since. He wondered silently if Syd was as confused as he was about them.  
  
Syd watched as Gage stood off in the corner, smiling yet uncharacteristically quiet and looking, well...almost introspective. Syd knew that Gage could be as serious as anyone, when the situation warranted it, and she wondered what it was that had him so consumed now. It certainly couldn't be her. The doctors had given her a clean bill of health and agreed that she could go home, provided she stayed off her injured leg as much as possible for the next three weeks, and that she return for weekly check-ups in the post-operative care wing. They had even said she could return to work, desk duty of course, as early as next week. So there was nothing in her prognosis that could possibly have him so engaged.  
  
"Are you not going to come over here and wish me well partner?" Syd asking jokingly, breaking Gage's stare into space.  
  
"Of course Syd, how are you today?" Gage walked over and, leaning down, gave her a hug. As she felt his strong arms circle her, the thought occurred to her that it might be nice to stay in these arms forever. Embarrassed by such a thought and feeling guilty for wishing for something she had no right to wish for, she let go of him quickly and looked away, her face flushing delicately.  
  
Puzzled, but now almost getting used to Syd's strange behaviour over the past few days, Gage tried to ignore her reaction to his hug. He could have sworn that Syd was blushing, her face turning a shade darker than normal and distinct stains of colour marring her otherwise unblemished features. Had she not asked him to give her a greeting? She had welcomed him with open arms and then just as quickly stiffened in his embrace and wiggled free. I really don't understand her, he thought but realizing as he did so that he really wanted to understand.  
  
The actions and reactions of the younger Rangers did not go unnoticed by either Trivette or Alex. They shared a knowing look across the room as Gage moved away the bed and retreated back into the corner, while Syd tried to look at everyone else but her partner. Neither Alex or Trivette were sure what was going on but it was evident that something was creating tension between the two. Trivette suspected that Gage's planned date with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader had a great deal to do with it and he made a note to mention it to Alex the next time they were alone.  
  
When the nurse opened the door a moment later the strange tension in the room dissipated as everyone scrambled to ask questions and get Syd on her way home.  
  
The first nurse was followed a second nurse, this one pushing a wheelchair. The two nurses helped lift Syd from the bed and into the wheelchair, then handed her the discharge forms and instructed her to take them to the main nurse's station on the ground level when she was ready to leave.  
  
Alex recovered Angela from Walker's arms and they exited the room, his arm around her shoulder. Trivette pulled Erica close to him and smiling at the Sydney and Gage followed the others out of the room. Somehow wordlessly assigned the task of pushing Syd's chair, Gage left the corner and stood behind her.  
  
"Got everything you need Shor...Syd?"  
  
Nodding, Syd felt Gage grasp the handles of the chair and he pushed her silently out of the room and down the hallway where they met the rest of the group holding an elevator.  
  
"Must feel good to be going home Sydney." Erica commented.  
  
"Yes, except I think I'll be trapped once I get there. Stairs are out for the next three weeks, and my building doesn't have elevator."  
  
"Maybe a handsome guy will come along and he'll carry you. That wouldn't make it so bad." Winking at Gage, Erica was oblivious to the mine field she had just stepped into as Syd responded.  
  
"Yeah right, in my dreams."  
  
Beginning to blush himself and knowing full well that everyone knew he would do anything for his partner, Gage was a bit defeated by her lacklustre response. He had to get to the bottom of this thing with her and soon, before it drove him crazy.  
  
At the nurses station Syd was given a pair of crutches to use around her home, and they were escorted to the parking lot by an attendant who wheeled the chair away once Syd was safely buckled into Gage's car. Alex, Trivette and Erica all promised to call Syd soon and check on her regularly. Walker told her to take it easy and that he hoped she'd be able to return to work as scheduled. Getting into their respective vehicles Sydney and Gage's friends and colleagues drove away.  
  
The tension between them palpable, Gage drove Syd to her apartment building and walked around quickly to open the car door for her. He helped her out, passed her the crutches and watched as she steadied herself then made her way to the front door.  
  
At the door Gage pulled Syd's keys from her bag and handed them to her. He knew how important it was to her to do everything without help. Sometimes it drove him crazy she was so adamant about being independent. Other times he admired her for it, like when she had managed to shoot Les Myser despite having been shot herself.  
  
When they stepped inside the front hallway, Syd took one look at the stairs and taking a deep breathe, turned to Gage.  
  
"Gage, I need your help."  
  
Slinging her bag over his shoulder, he picked Syd up in his arms while she held the crutches, and he carried her up to the top of the stairs.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"That wasn't too hard now was it?"  
  
"Can you believe what Erica said about having a handsome guy come and carry me up the stairs? As if I have any of those in my life right now."  
  
"You don't think I'm handsome?" Gage grinned at her. "Syd, you know I'd carry you up and down those stairs as many times as you want, if you'd just talk up to me. What has gotten you so down these days? I've never known you to be like this."  
  
Syd turned and looked up at Gage, not quite sure where or how to begin. Did she even want to begin? What could she tell him, she was still so confused herself about her feelings. Afraid, she looked away and turned the key in her lock.  
  
As soon as the door swung open Gage instinctively pulled his gun out. The place had been completely ransacked – furniture was overturned, picture frames smashed, plants tossed to the floor spilling dirt everywhere.  
  
"Stay here Syd."  
  
For once Syd acquiesced to her partner, too stunned by the appearance of the place she used to call home. Gage did a quick sweep of the area and determining that the criminals who had done this were long gone, went back to the door and gave Syd the all clear. As they entered the apartment together they shut the door. On the back, written in red paint, were the chilling words.  
  
"Ranger you will die."  
  
Gage immediately pulled out his cell phone and called Walker, who agreed to send out a team immediately. He then guided Syd over to one of the few chairs that remained standing and prodded her to sit down.  
  
"Myser?" Syd finally asked.  
  
"Well, his cronies. That would be my guess. Does it look like they took anything or do you think this was just done for show?"  
  
"I can't really tell from here but all the expensive stuff like the stereo equipment, the computer, TV/VCR and DVD are here, albeit smashed."  
  
"Syd, you can't stay here."  
  
"I know. I'll call someone, I'll find somewhere. I'm sure Walker knows someone."  
  
"No way Syd. I don't want you to argue with me – you are coming to my place and that is final."  
  
"Gage..." Syd's voice was soft.  
  
"No Syd, someone is out to get you – this was not a random crime. There is no way that I am going to let anything happen to you and the only way I can do that is to keep a close eye on you, 24-7. That means my place. End of discussion"  
  
"But you live in a bachelor pad."  
  
"My sofa is real comfy, I'll be fine there. You take the bed. Fill my bathroom with perfumes and lady razors, I don't care. I am going to keep you safe."  
  
Nodding Syd took in Gage's fierce protectiveness with an anger (Doesn't he know I can take care of myself?), that was soon outweighed by the thrill of the knowledge that he clearly cared so much about her.  
  
Just then the doorbell rang and they both jumped. It was the team that Walker had sent over to check out the place and search for evidence. When they had done a quick sweep, Syd asked if she could collect some clothes from her bedroom, and the team processed that room first.  
  
As he tried to help the forensic team with their investigation Gage watched Syd. She stood tall, her back straight, in the disastrous remains of her home. He could see the anger flashing in her eyes, in the tilt of her head, the way her hands gripped the crutches. But she was calm, rationale and patient - everything a good Texas Ranger needed to be, even in the face of personal crisis.  
  
When her room was okayed, Syd hobbled down the hallway and found the bag she normally took for undercover operations. She moved from drawer to drawer gathering an assortment of items, grabbed a couple of things from her closet, and moved to her bathroom. As she collected some of her toiletries she half-smiled to herself remembering Gage saying she could fill his bathroom with perfume and lady razors. What an incredible guy he was, she was so lucky to have him as her partner. How could she ever tell him that she sometimes wished he was more?  
  
When she was finished Syd headed back down the hall and found Gage assisting in the kitchen.  
  
"Ready to go?" he asked turning and taking her bag from her hands before she could protest. When she nodded he informed the team leader that they would be leaving and gave his cell number as a point of contact.  
  
Syd walked out her door, never looking back, and with a determined look on her face headed straight to the stairs and began to head down.  
  
"Oh no you don't." Gage started after her and willing to risk her wrath, simply scooped her up and carried her down the stairs and right out to his car. With a grim look on his face Gage got Syd settled then headed around to his side of the car and they sped off.  
  
Once at Gage's they had to complete the same process, but in reverse. Gage also lived in a building without an elevator, and he lived three stories above Syd's two. As they reached the final landing in his building, Gage was breathing heavily from his exertions. Syd had seemed light on the first flight but by the fifth he was feeling the strain. Just as he was about to put her down, Syd suddenly began to giggle.  
  
"What?" Gage couldn't help but smile. Why on earth was she giggling for after all she had been through?  
  
"Erica was right." she whispered. "You are handsome." And stretching up Syd kissed Gage lightly on the cheek.  
  
Blushing slightly Gage put Syd down and looked at her quizzically. "Sydney Cooke – you confuse me." Then he turned and opened his apartment door, sweeping it open majestically for her to enter.  
  
Once inside Syd sank down onto the sofa, exhaustion and pain finally beginning to catch up with her. As Gage bustled around trying to make his place look presentable Syd settled herself back into the pillows and before she knew it, was sound asleep. 


	8. Chapter 8

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Syd awoke to the smell of freshly brewing coffee and the sound of Gage's voice in the distance.  
  
"No Walker, I've got her here. She's asleep on the sofa now. I am not going to let her out of my sight. Yeah, actually I'm sure that she would appreciate that. Thanks. Okay, call if you need us."  
  
Standing and stretching as Gage ended his conversation, Syd smiled as Gage came into the room.  
  
"Oh hey, my sleeping beauty is awake! Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?"  
  
"Absolutely. I just need to go use the bathroom first."  
  
When Syd returned from down the washroom she found that Gage had set two places at his table, each with a cup of coffee and an empty plate.  
  
"Well Syd, you know my culinary skills are not the greatest..." Syd almost choked on her first sip of coffee as she tried to suppress her laughter. "Okay, I can't cook. But I think I can probably manage to make us some toast or even a grilled cheese sandwich."  
  
"I think I'll just have toast thanks, I'm not feeling that great right now. It's probably the pain meds. But I've got to tell you that this coffee is one of the best cups I have ever had. Thank you."  
  
"Maybe it was all those chocolate bars you ate." he replied and smiling went to work. Looking in his fridge Gage was relieved that Syd hadn't actually opted for the grilled cheese, his refrigerator was practically empty and the only cheese he could see was sporting a large patch of blue- green mould.  
  
Syd watched as Gage fussed in his kitchen. She liked watching him work; she could see how hard he was trying to make sure that everything was just right for her. She knew he was doing that because they were partners, friends, and because she was injured and her home had just been ripped apart. To have hoped he was doing it for any other reason would have been to hope too much. Resolving herself to put things straight between them she took a deep, silent breathe and spoke.  
  
"Gage, I'm sorry for the way I have been acting. I think I was jealous of the fact that you had a date and that I didn't. I have come to count on the two of us just hanging out together, you always being there for me. That is unrealistic of me and I am sorry. I know that you have a life outside of work and outside of our friendship and I respect that. It was wrong of me to take out my frustration on you; you have every right to go on a date with whomever you please. So I hope that as soon as this is all over you'll be able to make plans to go out with your cheerleader and I wish you nothing but the best of luck. Maybe she's the one, you never know."  
  
With every word she spoke Gage felt his heart sink lower and lower. This is what he had hoped she would say right? That she was just frustrated herself, that it wasn't his fault? That she wouldn't let his dating get in the way of their working relationship or friendship? Why then was he so disappointed to hear her words? He and Syd were just close friends; she had no claim on his heart did she? His feelings too muddled up to think, Gage looked away and began running the water to wash dishes that weren't really that dirty.  
  
"Did you hear me Gage?" Syd asked.  
  
Turning the water off and facing her Gage replied quietly. "Yeah, I heard you Syd." Then turning to the toaster oven he removed two slices of bread and carried them over to her.  
  
"Here you go Syd, eat up. This should help you to feel better."  
  
They ate quietly, each lost in their own thoughts, the silence between them strange for the pair who usually spent their time together teasing, taunting and laughing. As they finished their sparse meal Gage stood up to clear the dishes and Syd began to stand as well.  
  
"I'll do it Syd, just keep sitting."  
  
"Let me help Gage, I hate to be dependent on people, you know that." Standing Syd used her crutches to move to the sink.  
  
'Yeah Syd, but this is me.' thought Gage, 'You can be dependent on me. God knows I need you.' But, keeping his thoughts to himself he simply said, "Dish soap is under the sink."  
  
As they cleaned, again the silence between them awkward and strained, Gage finally spoke.  
  
"Well, while I am sure you enjoyed my gourmet toast, if you are going to be staying here for a while we will need to get supplies. I don't really have much in stock. I think we'll have to go out to the grocery store – I know it won't be easy with your leg but there is no way I am leaving you here alone, so we'll both have to go."  
  
"Mmmm...can we buy more chocolate?" Syd asked, finally breaking the awkwardness.  
  
Gage replied laughing, "Sure Syd...but I think its going to be my turn to start commenting on your eating habits. Three chocolate bars in less than one day and you still want more?"  
  
"I have a sweet tooth." Relieved that they were back to normal, whatever that was, Syd grinned at Gage and threw the dishtowel at him. "Here handsome, dry."  
  
When they had finished their work Gage called Walker to let him know where they were going but reached Trivette instead.  
  
"Good plan Gage, getting Syd's place trashed so she'd have to stay with you."  
  
"Hey, it wasn't my fault! Why would I want to do that to Syd?"  
  
"Well, I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt her but you have to admit, now you have a beautiful young woman living in your bachelor pad with you and I don't hear you complaining."  
  
"It's alright." Gage answered. "What are you getting at?"  
  
"Just, if I was you and I had a beautiful partner who thought the world of me and we suddenly got the chance to live together in close quarters, despite the unfortunate circumstances leading to it, I would take the opportunity to really get to know her. You know, you might never get another chance."  
  
That said Trivette wished him well and promised to pass the message about their location to Walker when he returned from his lunch. Pleased with himself Jimmy hoped he had put the germ of an idea in Gage's head – it was obvious to him and Alex how much the two meant to each other, and both wondered if there was something more to it than friendship. Giving them a little push might be the best way to find out. He ignored the voice in his head that said he might be wrong and that his pushing might cause a rift between the two; he was pretty sure there was more to their relationship than met the eye.  
  
'Syd thinks the world of me?' thought Gage, 'Aww, that's just Jimmy – always thinks he's got the pulse on how people are feeling and what they are thinking, and that has gotten him into more trouble than anyone I know.'  
  
Still, Gage couldn't help but feel energized by what Trivette had said. Gage was coming to realize that he thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Syd. She brightened his day, heck - she brightened his life. When she had been shot and he had seen her bleeding and had held her in his arms he had been forced to become conscious of how important she was to him. As a friend, of course, he reminded himself. And a partner. Always that, partners first.  
  
Gage locked his apartment door and gently picked up Syd and carried her down the stairs.  
  
"I could get used to this service." she joked.  
  
"I certainly am getting a workout." Gage replied, "Maybe you should lay off those chocolate bars."  
  
"Hey!" Syd playfully punched Gage in the chest, laughing as he made motions to drop her.  
  
At the grocery store Gage pushed the cart around slowly while Syd followed him, carefully manoeuvring herself up and down the aisles. They picked up a large assortment of items, catering both to Syd's usually very healthy diet and Gage's man-sized-appetite-easy-frozen dinner type food. They were nearly done shopping, just picking through the fruit in the produce aisle, when a tall blonde woman dressed in trendy form-fitting clothes approached them.  
  
"Gage!" she called out. "You are the last person I expected to see here! I thought you might be out on another dangerous Texas Ranger mission. Don't tell me that there is something suspicious going on in this store?"  
  
The woman barely glanced at Syd, who felt dwarfed not only by this woman's height but also her beauty and easy manner with her partner.  
  
"Jennifer. What a surprise!" Oh, thought Syd – Jennifer. Yes, she was just as Gage described. Her spirits sinking she looked at the two of them together and suddenly became very interested in produce that was in the next aisle over. Moving away quickly before Gage could have a chance to introduce her she began a thorough inspection of the store's lime collection.  
  
"I'm sorry I had to cancel Friday night." Syd could hear Gage saying.  
  
"Oh that's alright, I completely understand." Jennifer replied reaching out and touching Gage's arm. "I just hope that you can make it up to me real soon."  
  
"Uh...sure...okay." Syd heard Gage reply. "I'm a bit involved with work right now, clearing up some stuff from my last case but as soon as that's done I..."  
  
"Gage!" Gage suddenly heard Syd calling him.  
  
"Be there in a second Syd."  
  
"Gage. Now." Her voice was insistent, almost frantic.  
  
"Excuse me one second." Gage said to Jennifer. "I'll be right back."  
  
Walking over to Syd and her lime pile, Gage spoke with concern.  
  
"What's wrong Syd? Do you see a potential suspect here?"  
  
"I lied."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I lied before. When I said I thought you should go out with Jennifer. When I said it didn't bother me that you were going out on a date. I lied; I don't want you to go."  
  
Syd looked Gage straight in the face and looked intensely into his eyes, trying to somehow convey everything she was feeling in that one long moment. His stare back at her was just as intense, if not more so. After a moment he spoke quietly.  
  
"I need to go back and talk to Jennifer, Syd." And he turned and walked away.  
  
Her heart pounding in her chest and her breathing laboured Syd watched him retreat from her and resume his conversation with Jennifer. The blood rushing in her ears Syd could not hear what was being said and, her face burning red, she picked up her crutches and hurried towards a fascinating pile of mangoes.  
  
She was not sure how long she stood there before she heard soft footsteps approach behind her.  
  
"Syd?"  
  
No response but her shaking hand put down the best inspected mango in the store.  
  
"Syd? Look at me."  
  
She shook her head. Reaching down Gage pulled her hand away from the mangoes and turned her around to face him. Her head was still down and Gage used his right hand to cup her cheek and tilt her chin up.  
  
"Syd. It's okay." he spoke tenderly, though his countenance was filled with trepidation. "I'm not going out with her. Not when this case is over, not ever."  
  
Syd's arms suddenly flung up and grabbed him around the neck, her crutches falling to the ground with a loud crash. She pressed her trembling body close to him, burying her face in the folds of the shirt on his chest and held on with all her might. His arms slowly encircled her and he could feel her shaking as he pulled her close to him.  
  
They stood there like that, in the produce aisle beside the mangoes, for what seemed like an eternity neither speaking, each lost in thoughts of wonder, amazement and fear.  
  
Syd's shaking finally subsided but Gage found his arm muscles unwilling to relax, he had gripped her so tight.  
  
"I was so scared." Syd finally spoke, mumbling into his chest. "I...couldn't...didn't...know...how..."  
  
"Shhh, Syd. It's okay. Everything's okay." Gage spoke into Syd's hair, resting his chin on her head. She seemed to fit perfectly into his arms as they stood there, completely unaware of the peculiar stares their embrace elicited from other patrons in the store. "Want to get out of here?"  
  
Syd nodded against Gage's chest and with one final squeeze, let her arms drop from his neck. Gage bent down, picked up her crutches and handed them to her, their fingers touching momentarily as she positioned them. The couple had yet to make eye contact.  
  
Gage recovered their shopping cart and they headed to the check-out, this time Gage pushing the cart with one hand and his other hand lightly on Syd's back. They paid for their groceries and headed out to the car. Gage loaded their purchases into the trunk as Syd got settled in the passenger seat.  
  
When Gage got in the car, he reached over and took one of Syd's hands which were clenched together in her lap. He held it for a moment, giving it a firm but gentle squeeze and then removed it and put the car in gear.  
  
When they got back to his building, Gage got out of the car first.  
  
"I better get you upstairs first and then I'll come back for the groceries."  
  
Syd nodded and allowed Gage once again to pick her up and make the trip up five flights of stairs. Once inside Syd sat down on the sofa, nervously playing with her fingers. What exactly did this all mean?  
  
Gage returned several minutes later with the groceries and laid them on the kitchen table. He then walked over to where Syd sat on the edge of the sofa, looking down at her fingers. He sat down next to her and took her hands in his.  
  
She looked up to meet his gaze and he smiled warmly at her, his blue eyes looking brighter than she had ever seen them. Syd reached up in wonder to touch his face with her left hand, and as she did so he slowly lowered his face to meet hers.  
  
Their lips met in a kiss that was tender and questioning, each unsure of what they meant, what exactly they were saying to each other. When they parted moments later Gage pulled Sydney into his arms and rested back against the sofa, his partner curled into his side. Mindful of her sore leg he allowed her to settle in next to him, her head against his chest, his chin resting on her head. His arms held her tight, his hands slowly caressing her hair and her back. They lay like that, in complete silence, Syd listening to Gage's heart beat and Gage listening to Syd's breathing, until both had fallen asleep in the late afternoon sun that was streaming through the window. 


	9. Chapter 9

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 9  
  
This time when Syd awoke she was confused for a moment about where she was. As she opened her eyes she discovered that she was laying Gage's bed. Her shoes had been removed and injured leg was raised on a pillow. A light cover had been thrown over her to keep her warm. Syd lay there for a while feigning sleep, apprehension about seeing Gage again keeping her committed to the bed. What had she done?  
  
She had finally told him, the best she was able, that his dating bothered her immensely. He had responded by giving up a chance to date a beautiful tall, blonde, athletic football goddess. And then they had kissed. God, it had felt wonderful. She realized now that she had been longing, however unconsciously, to kiss him again since that time she had been 'happy'. She wondered what this most recent kiss had meant to him. Visions of their friendship ending and their partnership becoming unworkable flashed before Syd. What if these feelings she had tore them apart? She valued Gage so much as a friend and partner that the thought of losing him as either distressed her immensely. And now, she had put her heart on the line too. What, oh what, had she done?  
  
Knowing she could not avoid him forever though, Syd crawled out from under the covers. She headed to the bathroom to freshen up before shuffling towards the kitchen area. She stopped in the doorway and watched him, or rather listened to him. He was humming as he bustled around the kitchen. The table was set for two, a bouquet of delicate white flowers in the middle. Where had they come from? Syd almost forgot the emotional torture she had just put herself through and the apprehension she was feeling and burst out laughing. Gage was wearing a pink apron and humming show tunes. Oh! She just had to tell Trivette.  
  
Whipping his head around just as he donned oven mitts and was looking in the oven, Gage looked up at Syd and beamed with a goofy grin, thrilled to see her again. She was so beautiful standing there leaning on her crutches trying hard to control her giggles, his heart began to race. He couldn't believe the enormous step they had just taken in their relationship. He had tried to ignore the feelings of interest that he had harboured for Syd for a long time, assuming that Syd was not at all interested in pursuing anything more than friendship. He valued that friendship and their partnership too much to do anything to jeopardize it. This new step scared him to death but it was also the first time he had felt so alive since learning that he had been accepted as a Texas Ranger.  
  
"What are you laughing about?" Gage asked her, closing the oven door and standing there, oven-mitted hands on his hips.  
  
"You." Sydney managed to squeak out, and then gaining control "You are absolutely adorable." She walked over to him and reaching up with both her hands cupped his face and kissed him lightly on the lips.  
  
As she released him and stepped back his eyes slowly opened in marvel. She tasted so sweet. And then, scooting away from him as fast as her crutches would take her she giggled, "I can't wait to tell Jimmy about your pink apron."  
  
"Oh no you don't." Throwing his oven mitts aside Gage chased Syd until he had her pinned against the wall, each of them breathing heavily though not from physical exertion. Gage met Syd's gaze and then leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, moving slowly to her cheek, her neck, and the soft spot below her ear, pushing her long dark hair out of the way.  
  
"Gage."  
  
"Oh no Syd. Don't tell me to stop, please." Gage whispered to her, almost pleading. "I have wanted to do this for so long."  
  
"Me too." She sighed; giving in to the electric feelings his tender touch was inspiring. 'I just didn't realize it until today.' she thought, as her arms reached up around him and held him close. "Don't stop."  
  
A loud beeping startled both Rangers out of their increasingly passionate embrace.  
  
"My dinner!" cried Gage, donning his mitts once again and pulling a family- sized oven-ready frozen vegetarian pasta dinner from the oven.  
  
"Ahh...another gourmet meal from the kitchen of Francis Gage."  
  
"Hey...this one was your choice!"  
  
Gage served up dinner while Syd located her pain medication, the strain of having been up on her leg several times today making it throb with a persistent and sharp pain.  
  
The dinner conversation was as natural as any of their conversations had ever been. They laughed and they smiled; the banter between them relaxed and unhurried. Syd teased Gage about the huge portion he had on his plate, Gage countered by commenting that maybe if Syd ate more she wouldn't be so short.  
  
That stopped their dialogue in its tracks as Syd put down her silverware and looked down at her plate. Being petite had never really bothered Syd before. Sure her older male cousins had teased her growing up but they had also trained her to be tough. She often thought of what they had taught her when she practiced her martial arts, being little often had its advantages, especially when your opponent was not expecting either your strength or skill. But lately, as she had begun to realize that she hoped for more than friendship in her relationship with Gage, her diminutive stature had begun to bother her.  
  
"Syd, I'm sorry. What did I say wrong? Why have you asked me to stop calling you Shorty?"  
  
"Does it bother you that I am shorter than you?"  
  
"No Syd." Gage was serious and he reached over the table to take her hand in his, rubbing his thumb lightly over its surface. "Why would it bother me? You are strong and tough and a worthy athletic opponent. You know I trust you with my life when we go in fighting somewhere. Your height has never been an issue."  
  
"Why do you tease me about it then?" she looked up to meet his gaze. "You must have some sort of concern about it or you wouldn't keep bringing it up."  
  
"No Syd, no concern. Okay, to be fair when I first met you and we were partnered up, I admit I was surprised because all my other partners had been men and more or less equivalent in size to me. But from the first time I saw you fight, remember the takedown in Houston, I knew that your size and gender were not going to be a problem. You were amazing there, kicking and punching, leaping from the wall and ducking for cover under that old rusty tractor. You amazed me. I think that's why I started calling you Shorty. I never meant anything mean by it. You might be short Syd but you make up for it in so many other ways."  
  
Syd was silent for a moment, then squeezed Gage's hand and let go. "Alright buster, I'll forgive you this time." Inwardly, though pleased with Gage's answer, she still had the lingering concern that although Gage might find her size no obstacle in their working relationship, what about as lovers? Wouldn't he much rather be with someone more his physical equal, like Jennifer with her long legs, model-like features and long blonde hair? But she kept her thoughts to herself. All she and Gage had done was kiss; maybe this was nothing more than some simple pent up sexual frustration. To reveal her deep-seeded worries would be to admit that maybe she wanted something more and she was not ready or willing to do that. "I still don't want you call me that though okay?"  
  
"Anything you want Syd." And they resumed their meal, though this time they were both far more subdued, each hoping with every passing minute they could get their easy-going friendship back on track. Maybe this whole thing was a mistake.  
  
The awkwardness continued as they finished and then cleaned up. Gage was thoroughly confused and disappointed with how things had suddenly turned, even a little angry. First Syd was jealous of his date but doesn't say anything to him, just acts out. Then she admits her jealousy but claims it is only because he has a date and she doesn't and so she encourages him to go out, saying she is fine with it. Then when he runs into Jennifer suddenly Syd tells him she lied and doesn't want to see him dating. Then they kiss, twice, and she admits that she has wanted him to kiss her for a long time. But now, she is sulking about a nickname, meant only in good spirit, that he has called her for years and that she has never objected to in the past, and she is avoiding him as if she thinks that she should never have allowed them to kiss in the first place.  
  
To hell with it, thought Gage. I can't stand how she is messing with my head. I have put everything out in the open to express to her how I feel. I even gave up a chance to be with that sexy cheerleader, for what? For this - to be confined to my apartment with my work partner who is looking and acting as if she didn't want to be here, resigned to sleeping on my couch and missing what could have been the ride of my life with Jennifer. I'm not sure that those couple of kisses, good as they were, are worth all this confusion. I just want my friend and partner back.  
  
"I can't do this anymore Syd. I don't think you should stay here any more. I'm going to call Walker and have him find you a safehouse to stay at."  
  
Syd, who was drying the metal bowl which had contained salad, threw her tea towel down and slamming the bowl onto the counter, turned to face him.  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"I am saying that a couple of cheap thrills with you are not worth the misery and confusion that you are bringing into my life. I am saying that until a couple of days ago when you decided to be jealous of my date with Jennifer, everything – EVERYTHING – in my life was going great. And now, well I obviously made a huge error in my judgement when I decided to..."  
  
Gage's tirade was interrupted by a sharp knocking on the door. Without thinking and in the heat of his anger, Gage strode over the door and flung it open without first checking who was there. As he stepped back the apartment was swarmed by five men, all dressed in black and carrying semi- automatic weapons. Before Gage could reach for his gun, he heard Syd scream as two of the men grabbed her and lifted her, kicking and struggling, into the air. The last thing Gage heard before the world went black was Syd calling out his name and her crutches crashing to the ground. 


	10. Chapter 10

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 10  
  
"Gage!" a voice came to him.  
  
"Gage! Wake up!" this time more insistent.  
  
Holding his head and slowly sitting up, Ranger Francis Gage felt a strong hand reach behind his skull and help him up. As he opened his eyes he saw that he was sitting on the floor of his apartment. His head felt like it was splitting in two. Walker's blurry face appeared before his and he had to close his eyes.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Syd!" the memory of the attack suddenly flooded back to him. "Walker, they took Syd! We've got to go..."  
  
"Slow down Gage. You are not in any shape to be going anywhere right now. Alex, call Trivette."  
  
Gage up and saw Alex standing there, clutching Angela close. She immediately ran to his phone and called Jimmy.  
  
Walker helped Gage into a standing position and directed him towards the sofa where only hours earlier he and Syd had kissed and fallen asleep in each others arms.  
  
"Go slowly Gage. Tell me exactly what happened."  
  
Holding his head in his hands Gage began, his pain evident with each word.  
  
"Syd and I were having dinner, and it was not going very well. We got into another one of our arguments, and I told her she'd have to leave – that I would get you to find her a safehouse. I was so angry and there was a knock on the door. I knew you were coming over, I thought it was you guys. I didn't check, I didn't look, and I just opened the door...." Gage stopped, looking up wildly, "I let them take her."  
  
"Gage. Who took her?"  
  
"There was five guys, all dressed in black, I couldn't see their faces – they were wearing ski-masks. They all had semis, I reached for my gun and I heard Syd scream. Two of the guys had grabbed her and were carrying her. She was kicking and fighting and screaming and I tried to get to her but then, I guess they hit me. I don't remember anything after that."  
  
Alex brought Gage a soft ice pack from his freezer and gently placed it on the now quite obvious swelling at the back of his head. Still cradling Angela she sat down next to him and rubbed his back maternally.  
  
Walker stood up and began inspecting the doorframe where the assailants had barged in. As he did so Jimmy came flying up the stairs and Walker immediately began filling him in on the details. As he did so, Gage spoke to Alex.  
  
"It's all my fault Alex. I told Syd I'd protect her and I practically invited those guys in here. I don't know what I was thinking. I wasn't thinking. I have completely let my partner down and now Syd is out there, injured and alone and God, I don't even want to think about what else could be happening to her."  
  
"Walker will find her, Gage. It hasn't been that long."  
  
"Alex – you don't understand. She's more than my partner. She's the...I..."  
  
"Shh, Gage." Alex continued to rub his back. "I do understand. Its okay, you don't have to say it to me. You tell her as soon as we get her back."  
  
"I let her down Alex, in more ways than one. I said some horrible things to her before they took her. I was just so angry and confused, I didn't mean them. And now...what if I never see her again? What if ...?"  
  
"Gage." Alex now spoke with authority. "Snap out of it. You can't help her if you sit here and feel sorry for yourself. You will see her again. You're going to get her back alive and well and you'll get to make things right. If they were going to kill her they would have done it here, and probably killed you too. There is a reason that they bothered to take her and just knocked you out."  
  
"You're right Alex. Thank you." Sitting up straight and looking over, he gave her a half smile. He tried to stand up as Walker and Jimmy approached but found he was dizzy and had to sit down again.  
  
"That's a pretty nasty bump there Gage." Trivette commented. "We should take you to the hospital and get it checked out."  
  
"I'll be fine." Gage shrugged off the senior Ranger's concern. "Its Syd we need to find. What can I do? Walker, give me something to do. Anything."  
  
"I've requested a forensic team to come over and check for anything that might have been left behind by your attackers, though I imagine they were quite careful. We'll also have a team search the parking lot for evidence of an escape vehicle. I've called in local law enforcement to canvas your neighbours and see if anyone knows or saw anything. I want you to go to the hospital. Alex?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Walker. No, I have to help. She's my partner; you've got to let me be a part of this."  
  
"Ranger Gage, I expect you to go immediately to the hospital and get your head checked out. Alex will drive you. That's an order, do you understand?"  
  
Walker hated pulling rank on his junior officer but he knew that it was the only way to ensure that Gage was properly looked after. He could not afford to lose one Ranger in the pursuit of another. Softening his harsh stare though as Gage and Alex made their way to the door he continued,  
  
"Gage, you'll be no good to Sydney if you aren't in top shape. Get checked out and come back here, I'll keep you informed of anything we find."  
  
Nodding in resigned reluctance Gage, supported by Alex and a still sleeping Angela, made their way out the apartment door and headed towards the stairs. As he left his home, Gage turned out to look at the kitchen doorway where he last saw Syd.  
  
All he saw were her crutches lying scattered where they had fallen.  
  
**************************************************************************** ******  
  
Syd replayed the events of the last horrible hours in her mind. Sitting uncomfortably crammed into the back of a windowless van moving along a smooth highway, Sydney Cooke could do nothing but think. Her hands were tied behind her back, her legs were tied together and she had been gagged. Fortunately she had not been blindfolded but the interior of the vehicle was so dark she might as well have been. She could hear the murmur of voices from the front of the vehicle but they were too muffled for her to hear what was being said.  
  
She had tried to work her way out of the tight bindings on her legs and arms but to no avail. Her previously injured leg and shoulder were causing her a great deal of pain and so she was now just sitting back, leaning against the inside wall of the van. And that's when the memories came.  
  
Gage yelling at her, telling her that he didn't want her at his place anymore. Telling her that his life had been fine before...before she had come into it. She had never seen Gage so angry. That he could keep his anger in check was one of his best qualities – it was one of the skills that helped him to be a good Ranger. He was usually so easy going and affable, especially with her, but this time he had gotten so angry, and had just flung the apartment door open. Those monstrous guys had come in, grabbing her and knocking Gage over the back of the head. Her heart had cried out in pain as he saw him attacked but she was relieved that they had not shot him. That meant he was surely still alive. He would come and find her, wherever they were taking her. That is, if he still wanted to.  
  
Shaking her head Syd refused to allow herself to even think of that possibility. He was her partner, above all else and he would overturn every rock in the country searching for her. Gage cared for her deeply, she knew that. Was it more than friendship? Those kisses...oh, it had sure felt like more. Syd prayed that they would have the chance to find out and swore to herself that she would tell Gage the magnitude of her feelings as soon as she could. She would deal with the consequences of that honesty later.  
  
Just then the van came to a screeching halt and the back doors were flung open. Two men, if they were the same two as before Syd could not tell, grabbed her and carried her through the darkness of an unlit country road to another vehicle, this time a dark undistinguished looking four door sedan. She was unceremoniously dumped in the rear sear and managed to avoid banging her head by ducking mere seconds before she was shoved in the open door.  
  
As the car door slammed shut Syd managed to drop her wristwatch onto the ground, having successfully loosened it while travelling in the windowless van. Gage, Walker, Trivette – any of them would recognize her watch, the one she had worn every day since joining Company B. She closed her eyes and hoped that her friends would be able to trace the van to this location and from there track her to her next destination.  
  
Then, as the car sped away, with a final squeeze of her eyes she sent out a silent prayer for the fates to return her into the arms of the man she loved. 


	11. Chapter 11

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 11  
  
As the car sped along the highway, for about two more hours by Syd's estimation, the night began to turn to morning. The stars Syd could see out the car window started to disappear from the sky and the early morning sunlight began to fill the heavens. Soon all but one star had vanished, a faint but still visible, morning star.  
  
Syd's eyes focussed on the star and she almost smiled. As a child her grandmother had always told her that she had been born under a morning star. Her Nana had strongly believed that the power from that star would always be there to protect her granddaughter, as it had protected her during the illness that claimed Syd's mother and the gang violence that killed her father. On her deathbed Syd's grandmother had reminded Syd to look to the morning star when she needed strength. Syd looked to the star now and, more than ever in her life, hoped that her Nana had been right.  
  
As the morning star too faded into oblivion, blocked out by the bright light of the sun, Syd determined that it was going to be a beautiful day. If she had not been bound, gagged and scared, travelling to an unknown destination in the back of a vehicle driven by two large men dressed in black, she would have enjoyed it. It was the kind of day to go out hiking or cycling, the kind of day where she would agree to sit on the back of Gage's motorbike and let him take her anywhere.  
  
***************************************************************  
  
Gage and Alex returned to his apartment after having Gage's head examined at the hospital. The doctors concluded that Gage would be fine but predicted that his head would probably ache for the next 24 hours. They had been gone about 3 hours and by the time Alex dropped Gage off Angela was fussing and hungry. Returning Gage to her husband's care and giving him a quick kiss Alex left and drove home to get Angela settled for the night.  
  
As she was leaving she gave Gage a hug.  
  
"Don't worry honey, you'll get her back." she whispered in his ear and then more forcefully, "Just don't do anything too rash, we all want you, both of you, back in one piece."  
  
"Thank you Alex, for everything. I couldn't have gotten through these last hours without you."  
  
Glad to hear that Gage was cleared for work, despite his head injury, Walker launched into the details of the investigation.  
  
"The forensic team has uncovered tire tracks in the parking lot with trace amounts of mud in them. They believe that they were made by the getaway vehicle based on the location and nature of them with respect to tenant and guest parking spots. The lab guys are running analysis of the mud as we speak; they may be able to pinpoint a location for the origin of the dirt which will be a good starting point. They are also checking the tire tracks against their tire database which should help us to narrow down the vehicle type."  
  
"And two of your neighbours on the first floor reported seeing a dark black or blue unmarked van outside your building around the time of the attack and none of the tenants report having deliveries of any kind tonight." Trivette added. "Boring neighbours Gage, no one even ordered pizza!"  
  
Glaring at his partner Walker carried on. "Your apartment turned up no fingerprints except yours and Syd's. All we can do now Gage is wait. They could have taken her anywhere and we do not have the resources to begin a search of the whole city, never mind the countryside. We don't even know who took her."  
  
"Myser - it has to be, Walker."  
  
"Myser is dead Gage; he died when Syd shot him. If it is people connected to Myser, it is surprising because he was pretty low down in the pecking order of the Dallas drug world. This kidnapping and the destruction of Syd's apartment indicate big money and powerful influences. Did your investigation of Myser uncover any connection to anybody with that kind of clout, no matter how small? Its possible that Myser was far better connected than we had ever suspected."  
  
"I don't think so Walker. I guess I can go through all the paperwork that Syd and I pulled together, run through the surveillance tapes that we took again looking for any clues. I have to do something; I can't just sit here and wait."  
  
"None of us can. You and Trivette head over the office and start looking through the Myser case details. Trivette keep your cell on in case I need to call and Gage keep yours on in case Syd manages to get to a phone. Chances are she'll call you first. I'm going to head to the lab and try to get a jump on the results of the data."  
  
Before leaving his apartment Gage's Texas Ranger survival skills kicked into place, overtaking his personal fears for Syd's safety and allowing him to think in a calm, rationale manner. He grabbed a small knapsack of supplies – medical tape and bandages, a couple of pairs of warm socks, his favourite well-worn sweatshirt, a couple of bottles of water and some energy bars. If, when, they found Syd she may need some or all of these things and he wanted to be prepared to take care of his partner.  
  
Trivette waited until Gage was ready and helped him to lock up. They left Syd's crutches where they had fallen, Gage didn't want to look at them and remember how Syd screamed out his name as they carried her away. He had failed her so miserably. He swore to himself that once she was safe he would never, ever let anything happen to her again. She would hate him being so protective, he knew he'd have to do it surreptitiously, but he'd do it and face her wrath because she was the most important person in the world to him.  
  
Trivette drove to the office in his car and Gage followed on his bike, after persuading Jimmy that a motorcycle might come in handy later. At the office Gage viewed tape after tape of surveillance footage that had been taken in the warehouse district in the weeks leading up to John Myser's capture while Trivette sorted through court documents and statements given by witnesses in the Myser case. They worked through the night and well past daybreak and found nothing unusual.  
  
Gage was standing in the window drinking his fifth or sixth cup of coffee, staring out the early morning sky, watching the last star fade into the light of the bright sun when Walker came in. Turning, his nerves on edge from too much caffeine, not enough sleep and intense worry, Gage put down his coffee cup.  
  
"Walker?"  
  
"Good news. The tire tracks were from a 1999 Chevy Trailblazer, which matches the description of the van we got from the other tenants in Gage's building. Residents near the highway report seeing a vehicle of this description heading east out of Dallas at about 11:00 pm last night. This corresponds well with what the lab managed to analyze from the mud in the tire tracks. They found high amounts of lead in the soil, meaning it almost certainly came from one very specific location, the ..."  
  
"The Shindank Smelter" Gage and Jimmy both chimed in, grabbing their guns and heading out the door each knowing the exact location of the environmentally dangerous site that the EPA had shut down just two years earlier.  
  
Tearing off on his bike Gage was filled again with a sense of purpose. This was the first real lead since Syd had been taken almost nine hours earlier and with each passing minute he had worried that increasingly horrible things were happening to her. Alex had convinced him that they hadn't wanted Syd dead, at least at first, but he remembered the chilling words from the back of her apartment door and was certain that she would not be kept alive for long.  
  
Trivette and Walker followed Gage, their lights flashing, but soon overtook him on the over-two hour drive as Gage had to fill up his much smaller gas tank. Turning up the paved but dusty road that led to the site of the closed smelter, Walker stopped his truck at a site where some activity had clearly taken place.  
  
There was tire track evidence of at least two vehicles, one of which was the van which had originally driven out of Dallas. They also found the bodies of three men, all dressed in black, lying just off the edge of the road. Each had been shot through the heart at point blank range.  
  
Walker was calling for the coroner as Gage pulled up behind them. Seeing the bodies and the evidence of a flurry of activity at the site, Gage's heart stopped cold.  
  
"Syd?"  
  
"No Gage, she's not here." Gage visibly relaxed. "I think these might be some of your attackers though."  
  
"It sure does look like them. Not that I got much of a chance to study them but these guys certainly are dressed like them."  
  
Looking around a shiny glint of gold caught Trivette's eye. He walked over and picked it up.  
  
"Gage." Trivette's voice was soft but urgent.  
  
"That's Syd's." Gage took the watch from Trivette's hand and studied it. The face was smashed and the band mangled as if it had been driven over but the hands were still visible. "5:48 - she was here Trivette. Walker! Syd was here at 5:48 this morning and she was alive. She left this for us; she knew that we'd recognize it."  
  
"Where was it Trivette?" Walker queried and Trivette led him over the edge of the road. Gage held the watch tightly in his hands and thanked God for this sign that Syd was, or at least had been a few hours ago, alive and alert enough to leave them a sign.  
  
Walker walked around the location of the dropped wristwatch several times.  
  
"Syd was moved from the Trailblazer to another vehicle here, probably a car – the tracks aren't wide enough to be a truck." he concluded. "The van was then driven back along the road we just came down, and the other vehicle continued heading down this road."  
  
That was enough for Gage. Slipping Syd's watch into his pocket and pulling on his helmet, Gage jumped onto his motorcycle and sped off in the direction Walker had indicated.  
  
"Damn fool." muttered Walker.  
  
"How many times have I said that to you when Alex has needed help?" Trivette looked at his partner, the question requiring no answer. "Gage is no different than you Walker. He's hurting and he's scared and he's in love. It makes a normally sane man do foolish things."  
  
"I better go after him. As soon as the coroner gets here I'll follow. You mind staying and clearing up all this business?"  
  
"Nope. Just take care of yourself." Trivette smiled "and bring home the kids honey."  
  
Walker gave Trivette a grim smile and climbed into his truck as he saw the coroner's van turning down the road. Walker sped off himself and disappeared quickly in a large cloud of dust.  
  
**************************************************  
  
Sydney felt the car stop and tried to sit up and look around. She had tried a couple of other times during the ride to secure a better view of her surroundings but had been unsuccessful. In pain and knowing it was better to reserve her energy for a time when she might really need it, she had given up. But now that they had stopped she made the effort again.  
  
However, her efforts were soon cut short when the two men driving the car got up and opened the back door. Reaching inside one of them grabbed her by the ropes around her ankles and pulled her out of the vehicle, hard. Dragging her to feet without speaking either to his partner or to her, the heavier of the two men in black, pushed Syd towards a building directly in front of them. It was difficult for Syd to move, her hands and feet were still bound but it almost felt good to move again.  
  
Looking around as she got her bearings straight, Syd could see that there were several buildings in the vicinity, all of them in a poor state of repair. Looking up she saw the building she was being pushed towards was a large two or three storey civic type structure with the letter A printed in faded black paint above a large gaping hole where there was once was a window. The remainder of the windows in the building appeared to be boarded up.  
  
Shoving her up cracked cement steps and onto a wooden porch that was beginning to cave in, Syd was pushed through a makeshift entranceway beside a sign that read "No Trespassing". Inside it was dark and smelled of decay. What little light filtered in highlighted peeling paint and now useless electrical wires.  
  
She was herded down a set of decaying wooden steps lit only by the flashlight of one of her abductors. When she stumbled they made no effort to right her but merely grunted and waited for her to stand up again. Once in the basement she was directed to a small room and the door was swung shut. Feeling around the room in the total darkness she realized the door was made of metal bars, as if in a jail cell.  
  
And with a sinking feeling Syd finally realized where she was - the abandoned Psych Hospital which had been closed in 1997 due to poor conditions and reports of abuse and neglect. Hundreds of people had died here since the institution had first opened – some of natural causes, others apparently by more sinister means.  
  
As she sat on the cold, damp floor and felt a furry animal scuttle near her feet, Syd could not help but wonder if she would be the next victim. 


	12. Chapter 12

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Gage drove his bike like a wild-man. He encountered no other traffic which was both alarming and fortunate. He imagined that Walker or Trivette would no doubt be behind him soon and he could almost hear Walker chewing him out for taking off on his own like this, but in his present state of mind he didn't care. When he had Syd safe and he could hold her and protect her and tell her that he...well, then Walker could lay into him with the strength of ten tornados and he wouldn't mind a bit.  
  
After about 70 minutes of driving Gage had still seen no sign of anyone or any place where Syd might have been taken. Then, just as his gas gauge moved slowly past E, Gage thought he could make out a cluster of buildings on the horizon. He abandoned his bike, stowing it in some bushes by the side of the road, and continued his trek on foot.  
  
By now the midday heat had made this virtually abandoned desert-like area almost unbearable. Gage took small sips of water from the bottles he had packed in his emergency survival backpack, careful to reserve as much as possible. He had no idea how long he'd be out here or how much water Syd would need when he finally found her.  
  
As he crossed the terrain Gage found himself thinking again of Syd. She had not been far from his mind since that fateful night when she had taken down Myser and had been shot herself in the process. But now, he was reliving some of his fondest memories of their times together. Sparring at the gym, playing football at Walker's, her unwavering support when he had lost his hearing, the way Syd's eyes sparkled when she laughed, especially when she teased him. It felt strange to be out here looking for her, rather than having her at his side.  
  
Gage was startled out of his thoughts as he first heard, and then saw, a black car driving down the road away from the buildings and towards the place where they had found Syd's watch. Gage threw himself onto the ground as fast as he could, trying to make himself look like part of the terrain. There was no cover nearby, this was his only option but his actions were too late. The car slowed down and immediately Gage could hear gunshots aimed in his direction.  
  
He began crawling on the ground as rapidly as possible knowing that to stand and run would surely be to sentence himself to death. He heard the car come to a screeching halt, followed by another screech and looking over Gage could see Walker's vehicle. Just as he saw the experienced Ranger exit his vehicle Gage felt a hot, searing pain burn through his left arm. The gunfire stopped and Gage, seeing that Walker had engaged the two men who emerged from the vehicle, stood up and ran towards the buildings which still seemed pretty far away.  
  
When Gage finally came to a small clump of trees he stopped and rested, tending to his arm. The bullet had gone clean through but he was bleeding significantly and he could feel that he was getting light-headed from the loss of blood. Ripping open the knapsack he wrapped his arm in bandages and tied them as tightly as possible using his one free hand and his teeth. He gulped some more water and ate half an energy bar. He had heard no more gunfire, which Gage took to be a good sign. They were not following him nor had they shot Walker. Turning to look back he could no longer see the cars, they were beyond the curve of the horizon.  
  
When he felt able to proceed, Gage stood and continued his expedition to the buildings where he was now surer than ever that Syd was being held. He trudged on for what seemed like forever and was in reality several hours. The intense Texas heat combined with the pain in his left arm and the head injury he had sustained just last night proved almost to be too much for Gage. As the buildings in the distance grew closer and closer, Gage had to stop more and more frequently.  
  
His breathing laboured and his head spinning Gage finally arrived at the property he had been seeking all afternoon. The sun was beginning to wane and the heat was finally petering off as Gage collapsed against the once electrified fence with its tattered wooden sign swinging in the wind: "Dallas Psychiatric Hospital – Trespassers will be Prosecuted".  
  
Despite her best efforts to stay awake Sydney had fallen asleep. Thirsty and hungry, cold and damp, her limbs stiff from being tied together, her shoulder and leg aching from her gunshot wounds Syd could see no way out of her prison.  
  
She was awakened suddenly by a bucket of water tossed on her face and a bright light shone directly into her eyes.  
  
"How does it feel Ranger Cooke?" the voice sounded familiar but Syd couldn't place it. What surprised her though was that it was female.  
  
The gag was ripped off Syd's mouth and her tongue tried desperately to find any of the moisture left on her face. The light still shone in her eyes and she could not make out the face of her captor.  
  
"Who are you? Why am I here?" Syd managed to croak out, her throat raspy and sore.  
  
"Oh my dear Ranger, you really don't know do you?" came the voice in return. "You have done something very, very bad and now you are going to be punished."  
  
With the last word the light went out and Sydney was suddenly kicked in the feet, the legs, the ribs, the arms, and even her head until she was rendered unconscious and left lying on the wet floor.  
  
Gage emerged from his semi-conscious state against the fence as he heard a vehicle pulling into the hospital grounds. His senses on high alert again he saw three figures enter one of the buildings while another one remained with the car which was a non-descript beige vehicle. Gage edged his way along the fence, careful to keep his movements to a minimum. About ten minutes later the three figures emerged from the building and returned to their car which promptly sped off and down the road, in the opposite direction from which Gage had come.  
  
As soon as they had left Gage looked for a way through the fence. It was far too high to climb, especially with his injured arm, and it would take too long to go all the way around to the entrance. He was sure that Syd was in that building, he could almost feel her there. He had to go and get her while the assailants were gone; there was no telling when they would return.  
  
At last Gage found a spot in the fence where some wild animals had dug underneath the wiring, and mindful of his injuries, he carefully crawled through. Once on the other side he broke into a run and headed straight for the building marked A.  
  
He entered through the same makeshift doorway that Syd had been ushered through earlier and encountered the same horrific stench of death and decay. His gun pulled Gage called her name as loud as he dared and began a search of the building. The main floor was dark and empty, peeled up carpeting and linoleum creating trip hazards everywhere. Upstairs was also dark, except for the one large room at the centre of the building where the gaping hole had not been boarded up. Through that window came a cool breeze and the smell of an approaching rain storm, but the light it gave offered no sign of Syd.  
  
Back on the ground floor Gage searched for an entrance to the basement. He knew that most of these old hospitals had basements that contained isolation cells for the 'good' of some of the inmates. He found a locked door and after trying the lock he forcefully kicked the door open using one of his more recently acquired martial arts moves and was able to prevent further injury to his wounded arm.  
  
The stairs were dark and Gage fumbled for his flashlight. The smell of animal droppings and decay was even worse down here and Gage practically choked to keep from gagging.  
  
"Syd? It's Gage. Are you here?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Sydney Cooke!" Gage called again as he carefully made his way down the rotting stairs. This time he thought he heard something. It was faint and it could have been an animal but he called again.  
  
"Sydney! Tell me where you are, I can't see anything."  
  
"G...ggg...age?" weak and hoarse her voice came to him and he felt the vice around his heart vaporize.  
  
He headed in the direction that he heard her voice come from and found a row of, as he had suspected, isolation cells. The power from his flashlight fading Gage glanced briefly into each one until he found one at the end, the door swung shut and he shone his flashlight through the bars.  
  
Inside laid his partner in a pool of water, or was it blood? She was lying in a prone position, her neck twisted at an awkward angle. Her long, dark hair was matted to her face and he could see that her arms were bound behind her back.  
  
Gage tried to open the cell door but discovered it was locked. His kickboxing skills would not come into use this time; he needed to find a way to pick the lock.  
  
"Hang on Syd, I'm coming." Gage reassured her but received no response. Frantically he tore at the lock with his pocket knife, trying each one of the tools, holding his flashlight in his mouth. Tears began to blind his vision as he each successive implement proved unsuccessful. Suddenly though, in the midst of his frustration, the lock gave and the door swung open.  
  
Gage dove into the dark cell and gathered Sydney in his shaking arms. Clutching her to him his tears flowed freely as he felt for her pulse. He found it, though it was weak and her breathing was shallow. Sighing with relief he stood up with her frail form in his arms and although he stumbled several times managed to carry her out of the cell, up the stairs, and out of the building.  
  
When he got out in the fading light of day he could see that the gunshot wound on her leg was bleeding significantly and that deep bruises were beginning to form on both her arms and face. He imagined that the rest of her was in just as rough shape. Biting back the rage that he felt, Gage looked around and could see that they were still alone on the abandoned lot. Despite the impending thunderstorm which was threatening to arrive, he knew that none of the buildings would be a safe hideaway.  
  
He spotted a large stand of trees on the far corner of the property and he guessed that a river must run through the area. Carrying his precious cargo he headed in that direction as fast he was able. The abandoned psych hospital site remained deserted and Gage was able to make it over the protection of the forested area.  
  
Setting Syd down several feet into the woods he hunted for a place to use as shelter, and as thunder rolled overhead he was successful, finding a decent size rocky cave set into the river ravine. Racing back to Syd he found her struggling for consciousness.  
  
"Gage?' she queried, her eyes trying to focus on his face as it came into view. "I thought you left me."  
  
Collecting her in his arms once again, Gage whispered into her hair, as his tears threatened to fall again.  
  
"No Syd, I'm not going to leave you, not ever."  
  
And he carried her to the safety of the shelter he had found, just seconds before the skies opened up. 


	13. Chapter 13

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 13  
  
The small cave was dark and very little light filtered in through the mouth of the cavern. Still, the space was reasonably warm and dry and the partners were relieved to find themselves relatively out of harm's way for the first time in almost twenty-four hours.  
  
Ignoring the almost debilitating pain in his arm Gage set about looking after Syd. He first cut through the ties that bound her arms, and then those that held her legs. She moaned as he brought her limbs out of their restraints and back into a normal position. He set her in a sitting position, her back to the wall of the cave, and fumbled through the backpack trying to locate the medical supplies and water. Sitting back next to Syd he held her lolling head gently and brought a water bottle to her lips.  
  
"Here Syd, drink." Opening her mouth slightly Sydney welcomed the water over her dry lips, into her parched mouth and down her sore throat.  
  
"So thirsty Gage...no water...so long...thought I'd die..." she mumbled to him then suddenly she started coughing and choking on the water, her voice cracking. "I didn't want to die."  
  
"I know, shhh, its okay Syd. I've got you now; you're not going to die. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Gage replied soothingly, stroking her damp, mangled hair from her face.  
  
"You let them take me." her voice came to him as she slumped back against the wall, losing consciousness once again.  
  
Gage was quiet for a moment, his shoulders sagging in defeat. 'I know Syd, I know.' he thought. 'I've been so stupid, I am so sorry."  
  
Pushing his own guilt and grief aside he began to look after Syd's other needs. He bound her still bleeding leg with all the remaining bandages and gently wiped her bruised and dirty face with the damp sleeve of his shirt. He tenderly pulled his favourite sweatshirt over her limp and battered body. Then, satisfied with his ministrations, settled himself back against the wave of the cave, pulled her body into the warm space created between his legs and drew her back against his chest. His arms circled her, keeping her tightly in his grasp, his right hand gripping his gun as he stared out the cavern entrance into the driving rain.  
  
As the storm raged on outside and Syd's shallow breathing returned to a normal rate, Gage's resolve to stay awake began to fade. Exhaustion and pain caught up with him, and kissing Syd lightly on the top of the head and ensuring she was well-sheltered in his arms, he passed out.  
  
When Syd woke up her first thought was that she felt warm and protected. The only person who could make her feel that was Gage and so smiling she opened her eyes and tried to turn around to see him. As she did so the pain of the last day hit her and she cried out as her entire body revolted against her movements.  
  
"Gage?" No response.  
  
Even in the dim light she could see his strong arms wrapped around her, his right hand clutching his gun. She touched his arms and tried to shake him.  
  
"Gage? Wake up. Gage." Still no response.  
  
As she touched his skin Syd noticed that it felt dry and warm, too warm. Painfully turning around in his arms she reached up and touched his face, which was positively hot. She noticed the awkwardly tied bandage on his left arm and could see the stains from blood that had seeped through. Heat radiated from the injury as Syd moved her hand to touch.  
  
Ignoring the pain in her ribs and legs, she tried to wiggle out of Gage's arms. His arms tightened around her and he looked up wildly, his eyes glassy.  
  
"No, you can't take her." He practically shouted. "You can't have her, you can't take my Syd."  
  
"Gage, it's me. It's me, its Syd. Its okay, I'm here – no one is trying to taking me."  
  
"No." he replied, still panicked. "They took her; I let them take her. I need to find her; I need to tell her I love her."  
  
Sydney Cooke's heart swelled at her partner's admission and she wished fleetingly that she could have enjoyed this moment. But Gage was burning up with fever still gripping her and his gun madly; she needed to get through to him.  
  
Reaching around and taking both his cheeks in her hands, she forced him to make eye contact.  
  
"Gage. It's me. Sydney. I'm safe, you found me."  
  
"Syd?" his voice was weak as recognition flickered across his features. "Really? You 'kay?"  
  
"Mmmm, hmmm." She nodded, spellbound by the look of wonder in his eyes.  
  
"Oh Syd, I love you." he declared, openly and without fear.  
  
Choking back a sob, Syd continued to hold his face and stare into his eyes.  
  
"I love you too Gage." The words rushed out of her mouth in one breathe. And then she leaned in, placing her lips to his in a brief kiss that was both possessive and protective.  
  
"Syd?" Gage asked his voice hoarse and sounding like it came from a million miles away, "I don't feel very well."  
  
His arms relaxed and she reached up to brush soft, damp hair from his forehead.  
  
"You're burning up Gage. When did you start feeling this way?"  
  
"I don't know. I was looking for you...I don't remember anything else."  
  
"What happened to your arm?"  
  
"Oh!" Gage looked down at his arm, almost as if in surprise. "I got shot."  
  
"Who shot you? When?" Syd could see she was starting to lose Gage again, his movements were sluggish and his speech was slurred.  
  
"Don't remember...had to find you...ran out of gas...walking in desert...black car...Walker...no more guns...couldn't find you...so scared..." Gage's head rolled onto his chest and his gun clattered to the floor as he finally released his grip on it.  
  
Feeling around the cave she found the backpack and recovered a bottle of water and an energy bar. Drinking a sip of water and eating the energy bar slowly, so as not to make herself ill, Syd removed one of the bandages that Gage had tied around her leg. She moved to the entrance of the cave and holding the cloth in one hand and Gage's gun in the other she drenched it with rain water.  
  
Returning to Gage's side Syd gently laid the blood-stained bandage across her partner's forehead, and settling her weary and battered body against the rocky wall, nudged Gage's body down so that his head was resting in her lap. Stroking his hair with her free hand Syd kept trickling water onto the bandage as the heat from Gage's fever dried the cloth.  
  
On the run from her attackers and intensely worried about Gage, Syd spent the night sitting in that position, holding the gun close and her partner even closer. 


	14. Chapter 14

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Sunlight shone through the entrance of the cave and fell upon the two sleeping Texas Rangers. The rain had ceased sometime in the night and the morning was clear and bright, the sound of the nearby river a dull roar as it overflowed it banks with the water from last night's downpour.  
  
Gage was the first to wake. His head felt foggy and thick, his mouth desiccated. As he lifted his head from Syd's lap her fingers tightened where they lay tangled in his hair and she began to stir.  
  
"Syd." Gage's voice was a mere croak, pain and dehydration having weakened him.  
  
Syd was suddenly alert, her fingers tightening around the gun.  
  
"What's wrong? Are they here?" Panicked, she looked around frantically.  
  
Crawling up to a sitting position, Gage reached up and touched Syd's cheek with his right hand.  
  
"No." he managed to squeak out, shaking his head. "Thirsty."  
  
Sydney reached down to her side and found the water bottle, almost drained, and helped Gage put it to his lips. As he let the cool liquid slide down his throat a look of pure relief settled over his features. She looked at him in wonder and amazement; before she knew it she had flung her arms around him and was clinging forcefully to his still overheated body.  
  
Reaching around her tightly with his one good arm Gage held her close. A faint memory flooded back to him, although it could have been a dream, had he finally told her that he loved her and she had responded in kind? Unsure of that fact, but certain that he held her in his arms, Gage strengthened his hold on her relishing the feel of her body next to his.  
  
Gently releasing her he looked down at her face. A horrible bruise on one side marred her delicate features and the reality of the situation they were in penetrated his consciousness.  
  
"We need to go Syd. They might be looking for us. Can you walk?" He began gathering supplies and slung the backpack over his shoulder, taking the gun from her hands.  
  
Syd nodded, her eyes averting his gaze as she began to move to a standing position. They did need to get out of there, they were both injured and in need of medical care. Her assailants could be anywhere; she was not even sure exactly where this cave Gage had brought her to was with respect to the Psych Hospital.  
  
Her heart sank as she determined that he had probably forgotten his declaration to her last night, and her admission to him. He had been quite sick, and she had been scared. Perhaps it was for the best, love would only cause problems in their partnership and friendship. She wouldn't mention it again. And then, his gun tucked into the back of his pants, he held out his hand to her.  
  
"Ready?" Tentatively she took it, her eyes seeking his once more. He gripped her hand and she felt his solid strength stream through her. Maybe he did remember! She smiled shyly up at him and he returned her look with a grin that made her spirit soar. Leaning forward, his other hand lightly cupping her cheek, he met her lips in a gentle kiss before turning and pulling her out into the brilliant sunshine.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Trivette was frantically pacing the office of Company B. He had returned from the roadside scene of death with the coroner more than 12 hours earlier and he had not heard from either his partner or Gage in that time. Syd was still missing; there had been no reports of her snatching from any of the undercover agents working in the Dallas drug operations. And now Alex was on her way to the office worried about her husband and their friends. What could he tell her? He was no closer to locating her husband and their friends than he had been an hour ago when they had last spoke.  
  
Alex knew that Trivette had made no progress when she stepped into the office. He looked exhausted. She asked anyways.  
  
"Nothing?"  
  
"Nothing. I don't know what to do Alex."  
  
"I think we need to get out of here Jimmy." Alex spoke with quiet resolve. "They are not just going to walk through the door. We need to go back to the last place you saw them."  
  
"I'll go, you stay here."  
  
"No way. I am not just going to sit idly by and let something happen to the people I love. I'm going with you."  
  
Trivette nodded, he knew there was no arguing with her when she set her mind to something. Just like Erica. Just like Sydney. They were a tough bunch these ladies, I guess that's why they were such good matches for their Texas Ranger mates. Okay, well Sydney and Gage weren't exactly mates but Trivette felt pretty confident that after this was all over and they had Syd back safe and sound he'd be able to convince Gage to come to his senses and realize that Syd was the one for him. He just hoped that they would get that chance. Most kidnapping victims ended up dead in the first 12 hours and Syd had been taken well over a day ago.  
  
Trivette led Alex to his car and they sped off back to the road that led to the Shindank Smelter and the last place that Jimmy had seen either Walker or Gage.  
  
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Cordell Walker woke up with his head feeling like he had been hit by a truck. He was lying in a cold, dark room. Holding his head he began to crawl, exploring the place where he was being held captive. He discovered bars on the door and soon came to the conclusion that Sydney had come to earlier, he was being held in an isolation cell in the abandoned Psychiatric Hospital just a little ways down the road from where he had stopped to challenge the guys in the black car.  
  
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Hands still clutched together Gage and Sydney stepped out into the bright sunshine. The area surrounding the cave where they had spent the night was well treed which was ideal for remaining undetected, unfortunately it also meant that any attackers were also at an advantage.  
  
Syd discovered within seconds that walking was going to be excruciatingly painful. The wound on her leg, although well bound with bandages, had re- opened with her beating yesterday and her torso hurt, she imagined that one or more of her ribs were cracked.  
  
In the light of day Gage did not look too good either. His face was pale and yet flushed, the arm he had been shot in yesterday was swollen and, Syd deduced, probably infected and what was causing his fever. He walked unsteadily as if he were dizzy and soon the two Rangers stopped holding hands and put an arm around each other's waist for support.  
  
The walked as silently as possible through the wooded area and along the river, each visually scouting the area for movement. At the river's edge Gage bent down and splashed his face with water, drinking in as much water as he dared. It was brown and murky, filled with silt, but it was cool and refreshing. He felt so hot and dehydrated, his arm was throbbing and swollen and he could feel the heat radiating from the wound he had not been able to properly clean.  
  
Syd stood guard as Gage splashed himself in the roaring river. As he stood up they traded places and she reached down with her hand and scooped the water to her lips. Then she took the bandage she had used last night to cool Gage's forehead, soaked it in water and reached up to tie it around his head. She could still feel that he had a fever. She knew they had no option but to move however she wanted to do everything possible to keep his soaring temperature at bay.  
  
Leaning on each other once again they followed the river's edge, staying close to the bank on one side. Syd followed Gage's lead and he hoped his sense of direction was leading them in the right direction, away from the Psych hospital. They travelled for a couple of hours with no sign of their enemies but had to stop frequently, Syd's dragging leg causing her to stumble and cry out in pain.  
  
"I wish I could carry you Syd." Gage finally whispered to her, breaking their silence. "I hate to see you in such pain."  
  
"I'm holding us back." Syd stated. "Maybe you should go ahead and get help, then come back for me. I know you're injured too but you'll move much faster without me."  
  
"You are my partner; I am not leaving you, even if it takes us days to get out of here. We will get out together."  
  
Syd nodded, relieved. She didn't really want him to go on without her but she felt that had to at least offer it as a possibility. She tightened her reach around his waist.  
  
"Syd – listen to me." Gage said, as they both leaned against the embankment. "I am so sorry that I let them take you from my apartment. I am so sorry for those awful things that I said to you, I...I didn't mean them. I was just frustrated because we seemed to be taking one step forward and then two steps back and I was just, well, confused about it all. I acted so stupidly, saying those things to you and then just letting those guys into the apartment."  
  
"Listen Gage, you didn't let them take me." Syd replied reaching for his hand. "Okay, I admit that just flinging the door open was not the best tactic in the world but those guys were well armed, they would have taken me if we had been able to put up a fight. I'm actually glad we didn't, you could have been killed. When I saw them hit you, God I was so scared Gage. I didn't care about all those things that you said; I just wanted you to be okay."  
  
"Syd?"  
  
"Mmm, hmm." Still lost in her thoughts of the day she was taken, Syd nodded a bit absently.  
  
"I love you."  
  
Syd stared at him, her wide eyes taking in the intensity of his blue orbs, the truth of his statement evident in the way he caressed her fingers, the way he looked at her adoringly.  
  
"I don't know what this will do to our friendship or our partnership." He went on, rambling because he didn't know what else to do when Syd failed to respond to his declaration. "I'm sorry if it's not what you want to hear, I just can't keep it to myself anymore. I have loved you since before I can remember and I have tried to push the feeling away because I thought it was the way that you wanted things. But then you got shot, and you asked me not to go out with Jennifer and I began to hope that maybe you felt the same way. I saw the way you looked at me in the store the other day; I felt your lips respond to mine, I..."  
  
"Gage!" Syd finally interrupted him. "You're rambling."  
  
"I know, I'm nervous."  
  
"I make you nervous?"  
  
"Yes. I just told you that I love you. I've put our partnership and the most important friendship in my life on the line just so I can tell you that and all you have done is stare at me. Of course I'm nerv.."  
  
"Gage, you're doing it again."  
  
"Syd!" he sounded exasperated.  
  
"Oh Gage, I love you too." She declared, her eyes fixing on his with great affection.  
  
Relief washed over his face, followed by the childlike delight of a young man who has just been given the best present of his life. He leaned forward and captured her lips in a hungry, possessive kiss. She returned his kiss greedily, her hands reaching up to hold his head close to hers.  
  
When they finally broke apart each was breathing heavily, joy seeming to course through their souls. They held on to each other's shoulders as they stayed there, foreheads touching, savouring the closeness.  
  
"I'm sorry I never told you before Gage. I've tried to ignore my feelings too, I have been so scared to jeopardize our partnership, our friendship. But this week, when I heard you had a date I suddenly realized that I might lose you, might lose a chance with you. That scared me even more than confessing but I didn't know how to tell you. Most people would talk to their best friend but you're my best friend Gage. How could I tell you I loved you?"  
  
"You did Syd. You told me in the way you didn't want to discuss my dinner plans with Jennifer, the way you were so bitter and distant while we were on the stakeout, the way you reacted when I took so long to come and see you in the hospital. You left me clues Syd; I was just too blind to read them for what they were."  
  
"Oh Gage..." Syd began, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, as she lifted her head up.  
  
"Oh Syd." Gage reached up and stroked her tears away with his thumb. "Don't cry. We're okay, honey. We'll make it all work out somehow, as soon as we get out of here. Okay?"  
  
Syd sniffled back her tears, angry at herself for crying for the umpteenth time in just a few days. Of course this time they had been tears of happiness, but still Sydney Cooke did not cry. Especially not in front of Gage. He would start thinking that she was weak, that she needed him to protect her and that just wasn't true. Well, Syd admitted to herself - she did need him, but he needed her just as much so that put them on a level playing field.  
  
"Ready to go again?" she asked Gage as she attempted to stand up.  
  
He reached out his uninjured arm to steady her and together they started back along the river's edge.  
  
Unseen in the distance a man in black cocked his gun and aimed. 


	15. Chapter 15

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Trivette and Alex sped along the highway and eventually reached the place where Trivette had last seen Walker and Gage. Getting out of the car they looked around but the area did not look any different than when Trivette had left, just after the coroner had loaded the three bodies into her van and driven away. It was clear that neither Walker nor Gage had returned to this site, or if they had, they had left no discernable trace.  
  
"We'll have to keep going Alex." Trivette noted, stating the obvious, as he returned to the car.  
  
"Do you know what's down this road Jimmy?" Alex asked.  
  
"Nothing – its just the site of the old Shindank smelter I think. They tore down all the buildings."  
  
Alex shook her blonde head and spoke, her voice almost a whisper. "No. This road also leads to the abandoned Psych Hospital."  
  
Jimmy noted the fear in Alex's voice and remembered the time that she had been attacked by one of the inmates there during a criminal investigation. But quickly his concern for Alex turned to anger at himself. How could he have forgotten that the Psych Hospital was down here?  
  
He could have, should have, come back down this road hours ago when neither Gage nor Walker contacted him or returned to headquarters. There were lots of places at the old Psych Hospital where one could hide a kidnapping victim or dispose of a body. Until about a month ago there had been a guard posted there and now Jimmy vaguely recollected a memo that had circulated informing the Rangers that the security company had been laid off due to cutbacks.  
  
With that thought Trivette put his foot down on the gas pedal and before either he or Alex could put on their seatbelts the car shot off down the road.  
  
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Walker suddenly came too again as cold water was splashed on his face and he was kicked in the ribs.  
  
"Ahh, the famous Ranger Walker..." a bitter female voice came to him through the darkness. "How does it feel to be on the receiving end of punishment for a change?"  
  
Suddenly a bright light hit his eyes and Walker grabbed his head, trying to subdue the sudden pain the intense light caused him. He tried frantically to think where he had heard the voice before – it sounded a bit familiar but it was not someone he had busted, he was sure of it. He never forgot the voice of someone he had put away.  
  
"Who are you? What do you want? Where is Sydney?" he croaked, his mouth parched and dehydrated.  
  
"Ranger Cooke is dead, or nearly dead. When I last saw her she was in pretty rough shape. I'm sure that the rats have now had their way with her. You will soon be joining her, but not before I punish you for your crimes, just as Ranger Cooke was punished for hers." With that, Walker suddenly found himself being kicked about the head and torso, much like Sydney had been the previous day. Weakened and unable to defend himself Walker curled into a tight ball and did his best to protect his body from the onslaught.  
  
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A gunshot suddenly rang out in the forest and the bullet whizzed past Gage's head so close he could feel it grazing through his hair. Pushing Syd into the covering provided by the thick bushes and the river bank, he grabbed his gun and looked in the direction that the shot had originated.  
  
Immediately another gunshot came, this one hitting its target. Gage was thrown down to the ground with the force of the bullet as it ripped through the shoulder of his already injured arm.  
  
"Gage!" Syd screamed, watching in horror as he fell backwards, blood immediately staining his shirt. Crawling forward and taking herself out of the safety of the bushes, Sydney grabbed for Gage's gun and turned to look for the source of the gunshots.  
  
Before she could even focus clearly, the large man in black was upon her. Kicking her deliberately in her injured leg he easily disarmed her and threw the weapon several feet away in the bushes. Despite fighting with all her might, Syd was effortlessly overpowered and the silent man swung her lithe body up and over his shoulder. He carried her away and she pounded on his back with her fists, tears streaming down her face, crying out for Gage.  
  
Her partner lay motionless on the forest floor, the blood pouring from his latest wound the only indication that his heart was still beating. 


	16. Chapter 16

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 16  
  
Trivette and Alex sped along the road, each looking out into the desolate surroundings for signs of their friends and loved ones. After an hour of seeing nothing Alex suddenly noticed something glinting in a clump of bushes on her side of the road. Trivette's car skidded to a halt and he got out, gun ready.  
  
Moving carefully Jimmy crept towards the object and, slowly moving the bushes aside, discovered a set of wheels.  
  
"Its okay Alex, you can come out. It's Gage's bike."  
  
Alex got out of the car and walked towards her husband's partner and her good friend. Still shaking a little from fear of what she might have spotted, Alex laid her hand on Jimmy's arm.  
  
"Look's like he ran out of gas and stowed his bike here. He must have carried on by foot."  
  
"Nothing would stop him from finding Sydney. Nothing." Alex spoke quietly.  
  
"They are very close aren't they? I just hope that when this is all over they might be able to..." Trivette trailed off, silently praying that his friends would get a chance. "But Alex, this would have happened yesterday and there is no sign that he returned here. Where could he be?"  
  
"There Jimmy." Alex replied, pointing. Just over the horizon both Alex and Trivette were able could see the same cluster of buildings that Gage had seen the day earlier.  
  
"That's miles away. On foot and in this heat, not a pleasant trip at all."  
  
"Looking for someone you love is never a pleasant job." Alex replied.  
  
"Let's go then." Jimmy nodded and tried to smile at Alex, hoping he looked convincing enough to fool her. Trivette had a feeling that their troubles were only just beginning.  
  
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Sydney was just so angry that she wanted to scream. She was back in a dark, damp jail cell in the basement of one of the old Psych Hospital buildings. Her leg was hurting her immensely and she, a Texas Ranger, was so weakened that her assailant had been able to simply pick her up and, despite her best efforts, carry her away. Carry her away from Gage.  
  
Gage. Out there alone, seriously injured. He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be. He had just told her he loved her and she had finally opened up her heart. Surely she would be able to feel it if he were dead. And if he was dead, how would she be able to....NO! He simply could not be dead.  
  
The pain in her body and the ache in her heart too much, Syd did begin to howl. She pounded the floor and the walls with all her might, yelling and screaming until she was hoarse.  
  
It was no use. No one came. No one responded.  
  
Tears threatened to spill but Sydney bit her lip and held them at bay. This was no time to be weak. Gage needed her. And she needed her strength.  
  
Syd began exploring her prison and soon, to her great surprise, discovered that her latest attacker had failed to lock her prison door. She swung the door open and felt her way along the corridor heading towards an area where she could see the faintest gleam of light. In the pitch blackness of the underground cells, it twinkled as brightly as her morning star and Syd suddenly felt confident that she, and Gage, would make it out of this alive.  
  
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Walker awoke to loud screaming, very close by, and he tried to call out. But no noise would come from his parched throat. His battered body throbbed as he tried to move towards the location of the screams. Unless there were other captives it had to be Sydney and although he had never known her to scream like that, if that woman who had attacked him had done half as much to his junior partner, he could sympathize with her pain.  
  
Rolling on side and agonizingly realizing that his right arm was broken, a moan managed to emerge from his lips.  
  
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Syd stopped short in her quest to find the light as she heard a faint moan. Where there other people being held down here? Gage?  
  
"Hello?" she called out quietly. "Gage? Is that you? Hello?"  
  
She heard another moan in response. It sounded quiet close. She inched her way back along the corridor, each action causing the stitches on her leg wound to re-open. She could feel that her thigh was now swollen and probably infected. It felt like she was carrying around a set of lead weights.  
  
"Keep making noise." She told the mysterious moaner. "It's the only way I'll be able to find you."  
  
This time she heard a louder moan, from the cell across the corridor to her left. She stepped across the way and found a set of bars, but these ones were locked.  
  
"Hello?" she called inside, her voice still hoarse from screaming and increasingly dry as she could feel her temperature rising with the infection in her leg. "It's okay; I'm not here to hurt you. I'm a Texas Ranger."  
  
The person inside the cell moaned again and managed to crawl towards the entrance.  
  
"Sydney?"  
  
She knew that voice! It wasn't Gage, it was ...Walker?  
  
"Walker? Is that you? What happened?"  
  
Sydney sat down on the floor and reached inside the cell to touch his face. She could feel his characteristic beard as he nodded in reply. His eyes were both swollen shut and she could feel what she imagined was dried blood matted in his hair.  
  
"Gage?" he managed to rasp.  
  
Syd blinked back the tears that immediately flooded her eyes as she heard her partner's name. She pushed her emotions aside and did her best to present the facts to her boss.  
  
"He found me Walker and got me out of here but then we were attacked again. He's been shot, twice. Once yesterday, in the arm and this morning it was badly infected. And then again, in the shoulder, about an hour ago when I was brought back here. I don't know how he is...we just left him there, he was unconscious and bleeding, I couldn't..."  
  
Her voice broke and even through his pain, Walker could hear the desperation of someone who had been unable to help a person they loved. He knew that feeling well, he had lived through this kind of pain before, first with the death of his parents and in more recent years, when Alex had been in some difficult situations. Even if Gage did make it through this, Syd would live with the guilt of leaving him for a long time, even though it hadn't been her fault.  
  
Trying to bring her thoughts to the present, Walker asked. "Trivette?"  
  
"I don't know - I haven't seen him. How did you get here?"  
  
Walker, wavering between consciousness and unconsciousness, haltingly began to tell Syd, when suddenly the basement was flooded with light as a doorway at the top of the stairs opened. They heard footsteps stomping down the stairs towards and looking up Syd could see the silhouette of two figures marching towards them.  
  
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Trivette and Alex continued to drive along the road, each continuing to scan the surrounding landscape but silently believing that they would find their answers at the Psychiatric Hospital.  
  
A ways down the road they discovered, to their horror, a patch of pavement where there had clearly been a skirmish. Last nights torrential rains had washed away much of the evidence, but there were still skid marks on the ground from at least two different vehicles and bullet casings, from a gun that was not Ranger issue.  
  
"Let's keep going Alex. "Jimmy gritted his teeth as he got back into the car. This was looking worse and worse. He should have come back here earlier. He was following Walker's directions yesterday when he had returned with the coroner and overseen her investigation into the deaths of the three hoodlums who had been murdered execution style by the side of the road. But now...those men were already dead and he had missed valuable time searching for his friends. If anything happened to them, any of them, he would never be able to live with himself.  
  
Trembling Alex got back into the car. She had known James Trivette long enough to know when he was really worried, and this was one of those times.  
  
They continued down the road and slowly the abandoned structures on the Psych Hospital property came into clear view. Only, they did not look so abandoned now.  
  
There were two vehicles parked out front of one of the desolate and vandalized buildings. One was a nondescript black four-door sedan. The other matched the description of the van in which Syd had been taken.  
  
Slowing the car to a halt outside the main gates of the property, Trivette got out, once again readying his gun. When Alex opened the door to follow he shook his head no.  
  
"Oh no Jimmy." She whispered to him. "I am coming with you."  
  
'Walker, forgive me.' thought Jimmy as he gave in to Alex's determined look. She might look delicate but she was a force to be reckoned with when her husband's life was in danger.  
  
"Stay low. Follow my lead."  
  
Alex nodded in agreement with his terms. She didn't really want to be out here doing this, and truth be told she was scared, but Syd's life and maybe Walker and Gage's life too depended on her and Trivette. There was no way she was going to wait in the car.  
  
Thankful that she had worn casual shoes today rather than her usual pumps, Alex followed behind Jimmy as he crept along the edge of the Hospital property, his sights on building marked "A" and the one man who casually stood guard outside with a lit cigarette hanging from his mouth.  
  
The man, dressed in black, leaned nonchalantly on the roof of his vehicle. It was apparent to Trivette that the man was not overly concerned about his illegal presence on the property of the abandoned hospital. That is not to say that he would be unprepared to fight, Jimmy could see the man's gun in a holster at his side, but rather that they would have the advantage of surprise when they attacked.  
  
From inside they could suddenly hear screaming. It was faint but it was clear. Someone was in pain. Wanting to run inside but knowing that was not an option, Trivette and Alex stayed hidden in the long stand of bushes which lined the pathway to what was once a state-of-the-art medical facility. Planning to make his move soon Jimmy motioned again for Alex to follow him, and they moved closer to their target.  
  
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The two figures moved quickly towards them. Her back against the metal bars of the cell where Walker was imprisoned, Sydney stood up favouring her left leg. The light from above now filled the basement corridor and Sydney could see clearly who her jailor was.  
  
"Rebecca Jenkins?" she gasped.  
  
"Only just figuring that out are you Ranger Cooke?" the woman sneered. "I bet Ranger Walker there has managed to fit the pieces together."  
  
Reaching over she gently stroked Syd's face where the dark bruise stood stark against her otherwise flawless skin. "Such a shame, you are a beautiful woman Ranger Cooke. I could find a profitable position for you." And then grabbing Syd's hair, she yanked her head back and hissed at her; droplets of spit hitting the Ranger in the face like drops of venom. "But you killed the father of my baby and the man who did all my leg work in the drug trade. Without him alive, my business has dropped significantly and my clientele are beginning to shift their interest to other suppliers. It's a man's world out there, I'm sure you know Ranger Cooke. As women we must work extra hard to be taken seriously. Les Myser was my key. How ever will I support my baby without him?"  
  
"Don't...you...dare...compare...yourself...to...me." Syd spat at the woman in return, as Rebecca rubbed her swollen tummy emphasizing that to hurt her would be to hurt her unborn child, an innocent in this whole situation.  
  
Just then a gunshot was heard outside. Letting go of Sydney's hair Rebecca immediately turned to her ever-silent body guard and ordered him to go upstairs and investigate.  
  
Taking the brief opportunity of Rebecca's turned head; Sydney kicked her aggressor in the shins with her 'good' leg and swung at her face with her right arm. The punch connected as Rebecca turned back to look at Syd and she let out a howl of pain and indignation.  
  
"You little bi..." she began, scratching back at Sydney with her nails and aiming for her eyes. But Sydney was too quick for her. She wriggled out her grasp and into the open corridor. Another gunshot was heard from above; this one sounding like it was directly over top of them in the building. It was followed by a loud thud. When her guards failed to reappear at the entrance to the stairwell Rebecca panicked and began to fleeing for the stairs just as a shadowy figure, much smaller than her two brutes, filled the light in the upper doorway.  
  
"Walker? Sydney?" Relief washed over Sydney as she heard Trivette's familiar voice, just as Rebecca made it to the top of the stairs. "Rebecca Jenkins? What are you doing her? Were you taken too?"  
  
"Trivette – grab her, she's the one who took me." Syd yelled.  
  
Reacting a moment too late to Sydney's words Trivette let Rebecca pass him and Syd could hear the pregnant woman running away just as Sydney reached the stairs and tried to climb, her injured leg greatly hampering her ability to move swiftly.  
  
Turning to go after Rebecca Trivette raced to the door of the derelict building and found Alex there, holding Rebecca tightly, keeping her arms twisted behind her back and thus rendering her unable to escape. The two bodyguards, whom Trivette had shot, each in the leg, had been secured to the front grill of the van with a single set of handcuffs.  
  
"Impressive Alex!" Jimmy smiled, a real smile for the first time in more than a day. "Where did you learn to do that?"  
  
"Well, one can't be a Ranger's wife and not pick up a few things along the way." Alex returned his smile briefly as Trivette secured Rebecca's limbs with strips of cloth torn from his shirt, her arms behind her wrapped around a small tree. Her pregnancy afforded her the luxury of some shade from the sun that was not granted to her two thugs. "Walker?"  
  
"I don't know." Jimmy shook his head. "Syd's down there. Go – I've got these guys. I'm going to call for back-up."  
  
Dashing inside Alex made her way to the stairs calling for Sydney.  
  
"Alex?" she heard Syd's incredulous voice. "Down here! Walker's locked in a cell, he's really badly hurt."  
  
Her heart gripped with fear for her husband Alex made her way down the stairs and into the darkened basement. Reaching Syd, who had returned to Walker's cell, she hugged her friend with relief and knelt down to reach through the bars.  
  
"Walker?" Alex spoke softly. "Oh my god, what's happened to you?" her heart broke catching glimpses of his face covered in dried blood, his purple and blue eyes swollen shut. She stroked his hair and his cheek as he came too again.  
  
"Alex?"  
  
"Yes honey, it's me. Its okay, Syd's here and Trivette's here, we're going to get you out of this place and take you home. Angela's been missing her Daddy."  
  
Leaving Alex and Walker alone, Syd stumbled towards the stairs again and struggled up to find Trivette. When she reached the top and stepped out in the daylight again, the bright light of a sunny Texas day sent stabbing pains through her head.  
  
Trivette met Syd as she reached the entrance way to the building and caught her just before she collapsed.  
  
"Whoa Syd, I've got you." Jimmy set her down on the porch of Building A and took in her rough shape. She looked like she had been through hell.  
  
"Gage..." she mumbled, starting to choke and cry. "Trivette, Gage is hurt."  
  
"Okay Syd, where is he? Downstairs?"  
  
Syd shook her head frantically and pointed towards the forested area of the property in the far distance.  
  
"In the woods?" Trivette confirmed with Syd who began struggling out of Trivette's arms in an attempt to go to her partner. "No Syd, you can't go. You can barely walk and you're burning up with a fever. Back up is on its way; as soon as they are here I'll go get him myself.  
  
Syd began to sob in Trivette's arms. "I think he might be dead." She whispered just before she passed out. 


	17. Chapter 17

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 17  
  
When Syd woke she was in the hospital, once again surrounded by machines, with a variety of monitors and tubes attached to her body. Her first thought was one of relief that her ordeal was over. But seconds later she was overwhelmed by the memory of Gage being shot. She remembered Jimmy and Alex coming to the old Psych Hospital, she remembered telling Trivette where she had last seen Gage but after that nothing.  
  
A young nurse came into the room at the moment and looked at Syd with delight.  
  
"Ranger Cooke! You're awake! This is wonderful news; your friends have been so worried. I'll just go tell them and the doctor, they will all want to see you." Turning, before Syd could even speak to her, the nurse was out the door.  
  
Within minutes Alex, Erica, Trivette and Walker were surrounding her. They each looked pretty tired, especially Alex, but Walker's wounds were beginning to heal. Both his eyes were open and the bruises around them had dulled to a yellowish-green colour.  
  
"How long have I been sleeping?" were Syd's first words to her friends, as she painfully noticed the absence of her best friend from the small family of well-wishers.  
  
"Three and a half-days, Sydney." Came the reply from Alex, who stroked Syd's hair from her face, as she looked to her husband and friends for help in talking to Sydney.  
  
"You really gave us quite a scare!" Erica stepped forward, gingerly giving Syd a hug. Trivette and Walker nodded.  
  
Syd picked up on their evasiveness immediately, and though she was terrified to hear the reply, she plunged forward and asked anyways.  
  
"Gage?" she looked at her friends, their faces a study in concern. "Is he...?"  
  
The silence in her room was deafening. Walker finally spoke up. "We don't know Sydney. We don't know where Gage is."  
  
"What do you mean?" Syd sat up clumsily. "How can you not know where he is?"  
  
"I went Sydney." Trivette finally spoke. "I went into the woods where you said Gage was but I couldn't find him. We've searched the entire property, buildings and grounds, and he has not turned up."  
  
"He can't just be missing!" Syd exclaimed. "He was shot, he was bleeding, and he needed help. There is no way he could have gotten out of there himself. He ..."  
  
Syd began to panic as the reality of the situation hit home. She started to have trouble breathing and her blood pressure began to rise. Immediately nurses were in her room, followed by her doctor.  
  
"You'll have to leave." An older nurse held the door and motioned for the Rangers and their wives to leave.  
  
"We haven't given up; there are still search teams out looking." Trivette said as he left the room.  
  
"I'm sorry Sydney. I know how much Gage means to you." Alex added.  
  
'No you don't.' thought Sydney sullenly as the nurses and doctor poked and prodded at her. 'I don't think even Gage really knows how much he means to me.'  
  
"When can I get out of here?" Syd asked her medical team. "I need to find my partner."  
  
The doctor looked at her and meeting her gaze, answered bluntly. "You have just come out of a coma; standard practice is to remain the hospital a minimum of two more days. But Ranger Cooke, your leg has been badly injured. Even when you are released, you are looking at several months of intensive therapy to rebuild the damaged tissues. You are very lucky that you did not lose the use of your leg, when you were brought in we had very slim hopes that you'd ever walk again."  
  
Syd let the doctors words sink in. This just wasn't fair, this couldn't be happening. Almost lost the use of her leg? Two more days in the hospital? Gage, still out there, alone and suffering. Was he even still out there? What if a wild animal had smelt the blood and .... Sydney remembered how she had felt when she saw Gage after he had been attacked by the bear. The thought of something like that happening to him again broke her heart. Gage was so strong, so solid; he had overcome so much difficulty in his life already. She needed him to stay that way, she counted on his strength far more than she had ever realized.  
  
Syd melted back into the pillows as the medication she had been injected with to calm her breathing and lower her blood pressure began to take effect. And, with her body unwilling to do her heart's bidding, Syd fell into a restless sleep plagued by dreams of Gage and a life without him.  
  
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"We have to do something Walker." Trivette said to his partner after they had left the room. "Now."  
  
"Did you see the look in her eyes?" Erica noted to Alex, who nodded grimly in reply.  
  
"She loves him" Alex and Walker stated at the same time.  
  
The foursome shared a look and smiled despite the gravity of the situation. Walker was the first to break the silence.  
  
"Now that we know Syd is awake, I feel better going down to the office and talking to the ground crews. How about you Trivette?"  
  
"Definitely." The Rangers kissed their wives, who decided to stay at the hospital a bit longer and make sure Syd was comfortable, and headed to Ranger Headquarters.  
  
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When Gage woke up he was disoriented and confused. He was in a small, dark adobe building. He could hear whispering voices but they were not speaking in English. They were speaking in Spanish? Where was he? Mexico? He tried to sit up but severe pain in his right shoulder and arm coursed through his body and he let out a roar, collapsing again onto the bed.  
  
His call brought his caregivers running. A older man and woman, in their sixties, rushed to his side and began speaking to him. Cursing inwardly Gage wished he could remember some of his high school Spanish, but truth be told he hadn't paid much attention in Spanish class. He'd only taken the course because some of the most beautiful girls in his school had been taking it. Of course, none of them were as beautiful as Syd.  
  
Syd! Oh God, where was she? Suddenly recalling some of the events that had led to his current situation he tried to sit up again, calling her name.  
  
"Syd? Sydney! Where is she?" he looked enticingly at the woman who shook her head at him as she placed a cool cloth on his forehead.  
  
"Sydney Cooke. Mujer." He tried again haltingly, some basic Spanish words coming back to him. "Mi socio. Texas Guardabosques. Adonde?"  
  
"No senor. No mujer aqui." The man replied.  
  
Not here. Gage's heart sank. What had happened to her? Those shots had come out of nowhere, he had pushed her into the bushes and then....he remembered feeling the burning of hot metal as the bullet sliced into his shoulder and then he was falling. He could remember hearing Syd calling his name, crying out for him, but he couldn't answer. And then her cries faded away. The next thing he could remember, he had woken up here. Where was here?  
  
"Donde esta aqui?"  
  
"Mexico." The man replied again.  
  
"Como?" Gage replied, wondering how he ended up in Mexico when the last place he had been was outside of Dallas, at the abandoned Psych Hospital.  
  
"El Rio – mi barco." Ahh...the river and the man's boat. The river that ran through the hospital property must flow to Mexico.  
  
"Cuando?" When?  
  
"Tres dia senor." Three days! He slumped back down. Syd could be dead. He was in Mexico, severely injured and in no shape to move let alone rescue Syd, and it had been three days since they had been attacked. He remembered finding her in that cell, collapsed on the floor, battered and bruised. He thought about holding her frail body in his arms as he carried her away to safety and she accused him of letting them take her. He remembered waking up in her arms as she tried to bring down his fever by smoothing a cool cloth on his forehead. And he remembered the look in her eyes as she finally told him that she loved him.  
  
He didn't want to live without her, Gage realized. If Sydney was dead he just wanted to curl up and die himself. He had failed her, he had promised to protect her, he had tried to bring her back to safety but once again he had let them take her. As tears began to slide down his cheeks, Gage gratefully slipped back into unconsciousness as the worried Mexican couple examined his bandages and continued to soothe his slight fever with damp rags.  
  
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At the headquarters for Company B, Walker and Trivette were disheartened to learn that no progress had been made in the search for their missing comrade. After talking to the ground crew leaders, who had expanded their search well beyond the perimeter of the Psych Hospital, Walker sat down quietly at his desk while Trivette stood and looked out the window.  
  
"Walker". Trivette finally broke the silence. "Its not that I don't trust the guys out in the field, but wouldn't it be best if we went back out ourselves and looked?"  
  
Walker nodded slowly, still lost in his thoughts.  
  
"I mean, I just can't sit around here and doing nothing." He continued. "No matter what we discover, we have to find him. For the Rangers, for his sister. For Sydney."  
  
"He is still alive." Walker spoke at last, shaking his head as if to clear a vision.  
  
"Cherokee instincts?" Trivette asked, a smile spreading across his face. Walker's instincts had never once been wrong, and while Jimmy had once dismissed his partner's hunches as pure luck he had come to believe in the close connection that Walker seemed to have with the spiritual world.  
  
Nodding, Walker stood. "He's safe, at least for now. Let's go home and get some rest tonight, we'll head back to the hospital grounds at first light."  
  
Feeling renewed and energized by Walker's plan, Trivette grabbed his hat and headed out the door. He called Erica on his cell phone to tell her the 'news' and headed home.  
  
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At the hospital Alex and Erica had returned to Sydney's room. When she had awoken again, she seemed despondent and morose. She didn't want to talk about what had happened or how she was feeling. She just wanted to be left alone. If Gage was gone...well, then life was just not worth fighting for. Why had she wasted all that time? She should have told him ages ago that she loved him. She had let fear of the unknown hold her back from taking the plunge with Gage, and now she may have lost her chance forever. Karmic justice, she thought to herself.  
  
The women left the hospital shortly after Erica received the phone call from her husband. She had shared the promising news with Alex, who also trusted her husband's instincts implicitly, but together they had agreed to not divulge it to Sydney. It was a tough call, they knew that Sydney needed some optimism but they didn't want to give her false hopes.  
  
They did tell her that in the morning the two Rangers would be heading out to look for Gage themselves, and this did seem to cheer the younger Ranger up somewhat. Walker and Trivette were the best, Syd knew that. If anyone could find Gage, it would be them. But what would they find?  
  
Angry that she couldn't go out there and look for him herself Syd suddenly flung her water cup across the room. Water sprayed everywhere and the cup satisfactorily cracked into two pieces, but the victory was hollow. Alone in her hospital room, Syd cried herself to sleep. 


	18. Chapter 18

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 18  
  
As planned, at first light Texas Rangers Cordell Walker and James Trivette headed out of Dallas ready to search for Gage. They had each packed gear for camping overnight, with food and medical supplies to last for several days. They drove Walker's truck which had been recovered from a warehouse in the industrial district shortly after Rebecca Jenkin's had been arrested, much to Walker's relief. He hated being cramped in Trivette's sports car.  
  
Neither spoke much on the long drive to the Psych Hospital, each lost in their own thoughts, each worried not only about Gage but about Sydney. Erica and Alex had both reported on Sydney's state of mind last night when they had left her and both the experienced Rangers worried that they may have lost both their junior partners.  
  
Walker thought of how much alike he and Syd were, though they had never much talked about it. He knew from her personnel file that like him she had lost both her parents at a young age, but thankfully had been raised by a loving family member unlike Gage who had grown up in an abusive foster home. Still, however loving, an uncle or a grandmother could never make up for the loss of parents at such a tender age and Walker knew that well. It had made him hard and determined, almost to the point of shutting out people and the love they bring to your life. But Alex had slowly worked her way through that barrier that he had built; never daunted by its size or strength, and now he understood how much he had missed by remaining so aloof.  
  
He had watched Sydney and Gage from the moment they came to work for Company B. He had seen Gage's repeated attempts to work his way into Sydney's emotions, and recognized that like Alex Gage was never daunted by the task ahead of him. And slowly, though she may not have realized it, Sydney had opened herself up to Gage and they now made a formidable working team slowly inching their way towards a lifetime partnership. But if they found Gage dead, Walker suspected that Sydney might just shut down, afraid to open her heart and trust anyone again.  
  
For his part, Trivette thought about the fiery jealously he had recently seen in Syd's eyes when she had heard about Gage's date with the cheerleader and her attempts to hide her feelings. Was that the same woman who his wife reported had sat morosely in her hospital bed yesterday, refusing to eat, brushing aside the ministrations of her friends by stating that 'nothing mattered anymore'? Sydney and Trivette had never been close, though Trivette recognized that Sydney was a pretty private individual, but as soon as he had seen that jealous spark in her eye's he had immediately understood much more about the unique, sometimes wordless, working relationship that she had with her partner. And, as he had done so often in the past week, Trivette prayed silently that Gage and Sydney would get their shot at happiness.  
  
Upon arrival at the Psych Hospital, Walker and Trivette showed their ID to the armed guard who now stood watch, the city having determined that cutting security service here may have been a bad idea.  
  
"I think we should start where Sydney said she last saw Gage." Walker said as he collected his gear from the back and slung his well-laden pack onto his back.  
  
"I agree. I don't know where specifically, she pointed to the wooded area of the property just before she collapsed. That's a pretty big area; I'm not sure where to start exactly. Last time I searched I was so frantic to find Gage I just ran everywhere, I wasn't thinking too clearly."  
  
"Well, Syd was held captive in this building." Walker pointed to Building A where he and Syd had both suffered at the crazed hands of Rebecca Jenkins. "We know Gage got her out of here, and he would have taken the most direct route to the woods, so lets do that too and see where it takes us."  
  
With a loud beep Walker automatically locked the doors of his vehicle and he and Trivette set off across the property, tilting their hats down slightly to shield their eyes from the blazing Texas sun.  
  
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Gage was tormented with wild dreams of himself and Syd being chased, shot at, and chased again and finally Syd being pulled away from him, watching while he drowned in the river. He could hear her screaming his name, watched the fiery sparkle in her eyes fade as his lifeless body is pulled from the river. He kept trying to yell, to tell her it was a dream - that he was okay but, though he could hear his voice, Syd acted as though she could not hear his words. He observed her as she stroked the damp hair from his face, knelt down to kiss his forehead and then flung herself in the river.  
  
"Syd!!!!!!!!!!!!" Gage woke up in a cold sweat, and despite the pain that immediately raced through his shoulder, he sat up straight.  
  
It was early morning; he could hear roosters beginning their morning wake- up calls and the responding cluck-cluck of hens. To his surprise, his kindly caretakers did not come running. This was not the first time in the past day, since waking from his deep sleep, that he had woken shouting his partner's name. Perhaps they were used to it now; perhaps they were already outside and hard at work.  
  
Turning around in his bed as best he could, Gage looked out the window. The night sky was fading quickly and with it the stars. All but one, and Gage fixated on that star. He remembered the morning star he had seen from the office window at daybreak after Syd had been taken and wondered, rather idly to himself, if that star was looking out for him and Syd. He had managed to find her the last time he saw a morning star, maybe this was a sign that he would find her once again.  
  
Determined, Gage stood up from the bed and almost immediately fell down, he was so dizzy. He reached for a chair located near the bed and steadied himself. After taking a minute to catch his breath and regain control of his equilibrium, Gage began to walk towards the open doorway, all the while leaning on the wall with his uninjured arm.  
  
Outside his room he found a small, but comfortable kitchen. The door to the only other room in the house, the master bedroom, was open, and there was no sign of his hosts inside the house. Quickly scanning his surroundings Gage also realized that there was no telephone. He had lost his cell phone somewhere between abandoning his bike and reaching the Psych Hospital, but even if he hadn't the battery would long be dead.  
  
The fact that the home he was currently seconded in was without a phone, did not surprise him. It was clearly a rural homestead – a hand-pump in the kitchen sink, no electricity, and an outhouse visible just outside the kitchen window. The lack of amenities meant that they were probably quite far from any towns, certainly any cities. Moving to the main door of the house and looking out across the vast landscape confirmed Gage's theory. Miles and miles of desert, cactuses and chickens with the odd homestead dotting the horizon. He remembered the old man's word though, his boat and el rio – where was the river? Turning to look in the other direction Gage spotted a slightly greener, narrow winding pathway across the property and concluded that it must be what remained of the raging, roaring river that ran through the Psych Hospital property.  
  
Just then both the old man and woman came around the corner of the house and shouted with joy at seeing Gage up and about. The woman began talking a mile a minute and Gage, though he could not really understand what she was saying, got the gist of it as she hustled him back inside and forcefully insisted that he sit down at the kitchen table. Within minutes she had prepared a plate of food from their meagre stock and she stood over him, watching as he ate each bite. Her husband sat down at the table with Gage and nodded approvingly.  
  
As he began to eat, Gage discovered that he was absolutely ravenous. He cleared his plate within minutes, and humming the woman immediately refilled it when Gage gave her one of his charming smiles. When he had finally finished eating, Gage felt his strength returning as he patted his stomach in appreciation of the woman's fine cooking. Smiling and obviously pleased with herself she immediately set about cleaning her kitchen.  
  
Looking to the old man, Gage asked. "Telefono?"  
  
"No senor." He replied. "No telefono."  
  
Gage nodded with acceptance, it was as he had expected.  
  
"Mi amigos – mi amistades. They are looking for me. I need to contact them."  
  
The man looked at him, confused. "No telefono. Afligo."  
  
"Mi amante..." Gage finally said, remembering the word for lover. The man smiled broadly, love was something he could understand. He didn't need to speak English to see Gage's frustration - this young man wanted to find his woman.  
  
Pointing to Gage's shoulder, he tried to make him understand that he was too weak to travel. He had only his boat and a very ramshackle cart; they would not get far on either.  
  
Gage did not understand everything the man was telling him. Something about a broken cart and a sick donkey and the river.  
  
"Si. El barco! Texas."  
  
"No..." the man shook his head.  
  
"Si!" Gage pleaded.  
  
"No." The man stood up and motioned for Gage to follow him outside. Once in the blazing sun the two men made their way to the river area which ran through the property, and Gage finally understood what the man was telling him. The river was a mere trickle, a brownish murky snake that would barely cover his feet. It must have dried up since the rain storm the other night. A boat would do them no good.  
  
Sighing Gage felt the pain in shoulder return. He imagined it had been there all along, but he had been so focused on a plan to get out of there that he had ignored it. Now though, his hopes for getting back to his friends and to finding Syd dashed, at least for the time being, he felt the dull roar of the healing infection.  
  
Once inside Gage thanked his hosts and indicated that he was tired and wished to return to bed. Smiling kindly the couple encouraged Gage in his plan, the woman even bringing him a tall glass of water to keep beside his bed. Exhausted from his morning efforts, Gage fell asleep quickly and this time was not plagued by bad dreams.  
  
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Syd woke up the next morning in the hospital determined to get out of there and find Gage. After crying herself to sleep last night Sydney dreamt that Gage was drowning in the river. She kept trying to pull him out but the current was too strong and he kept leaving her arms. He wasn't talking to her but his eyes met hers and she could see his fear. She kept yelling to him not to give up, that she loved him, and then Rebecca Jenkins' bitter voice infiltrated her dream laughing at Sydney's futile attempts. Turning away from Gage for a split-second she swung around and connected her fist with Rebecca's jaw, just as she had in the basement of the Psych Hospital, and suddenly Gage was alive and well, running out of the river and picking her up in his arms.  
  
She knew that Walker and Trivette were both out there this morning, but that was not enough. Gage needed her, and she needed to get out of this bed and begin looking for him. She had spent enough time yesterday moping and feeling sorry for herself. If Gage was alive and out there, as she had to believe that he was, then wallowing in self-pity over the fact that he might be dead seemed ridiculous. Sydney was angry with herself for being so weak – is this what love did to a woman? She had no time for this, no use for this kind of weakness. She was a Texas Ranger, and her partner was out there. If she didn't do her best to find him then she will have failed him and the badge they wore. And Sydney Cooke never failed.  
  
Syd stood up, ignoring the pain in her leg, and did her best to remove the remaining monitors that were taped to her body. She couldn't remove the IV drip so she left that tube alone but was just reaching for the bag of solution to carry with her when the day nurse burst through the door.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"I am getting out of here – my partner is hurt, alone, and if he is even alive he is probably terrified and worried about me. I need to leave now!"  
  
The nurse stared in amazement at the petite dark-haired woman in front of her. Syd's eyes were blazing, her fingers curled into fists and she looked as if she were about to stomp her feet. The nurse was taken aback momentarily but then regained her composure.  
  
"Ranger Cooke!" She spoke in a commanding voice, thinking quickly about what she could say to this woman to calm her down. "Sit down right now or I will call security. You are jeopardizing the safety of the hospital equipment."  
  
The nurse's ploy worked and Syd looked around, realizing that she had failed to remove all the monitors attached to her body. Sydney sat back down on her bed, but did not look defeated.  
  
"Please remove all these monitors and the IV for me. I wish to leave the hospital - now." Syd spoke with as much calm and reserve as she could, her impatience just slightly buried under the surface.  
  
"I understand Ranger Cooke. I will speak to your doctor and see when he has you scheduled for release."  
  
"No." Syd tried hard to regulate the level of her voice. "I am going to leave right now. I need this IV removed or I will have to do it myself. Then I am going to put on my shoes and walk out of here and find my partner." The last words were uttered slowly, determination punctuating each syllable.  
  
"I am going to go find your doctor. Now stay here Ranger Coo..." the nurse began to speak when the door opened, and in walked Alex and Erica.  
  
"Sydney!" exclaimed Erica, delighted to see her friend sitting up and out of bed.  
  
"Is she causing you trouble?" Alex, ever perceptive, asked the nurse.  
  
"Yes, she is demanding that she leave to go and find her partner. But I can let her do that! She needs to be released by a doctor, sign proper forms, schedule follow-up visits...Ranger Cooke is in no shape to walk out of here."  
  
"No, of course not." Replied Alex soothingly. "However, if my friend says she wants out of here to find her partner, then I doubt that nothing short of her partner walking in here will prevent her from doing that. Would you please page her doctor ASAP, and we'll take care of all the paperwork."  
  
Nodding at Alex and turning to stare at Syd one more time, the nurse exited the room. Moments later they could hear Sydney's doctor being paged over the intercom.  
  
As soon as the nurse had left Alex turned to Syd and like Erica was delighted to see her friend looking so much like her old self.  
  
"Okay Sydney, what's going on?"  
  
Syd took a deep breath, knowing that she needed to calm down or Alex and Erica would never agree to help her.  
  
"I know that Walker and Trivette are out there, and I trust them, I really do. But I need to go out there and find Gage myself. I had a dream last night...Gage was drowning and then Rebecca Jenkins was there, laughing, and I punched her and then Gage was safe. I just know that I am one that needs to rescue him, wherever he is."  
  
"Sydney, Rebecca Jenkins is locked up and so are all of her goons. They can't hurt you, or Gage or Walker or anyone anymore."  
  
"But they already hurt him Alex! They might be locked up now but he's been shot by them, twice. They are the reason he is missing now. And somehow, I just know that if we don't get to him soon, he is going to die."  
  
"Sydney, you can't know that. We just have to hope for the best; Walker and Jimmy are going to look under every stone, twice if they need to. They'll find him, let's have faith." Erica soothed.  
  
Syd gave Erica a frustrated look, she knew her friend meant well but she just didn't understand the urgency of the situation. Then suddenly, jumping up and ignoring the searing pain in her leg, Syd exclaimed "The river! That's what my dream is telling me. Gage went down the river! Alex, call Walker. Tell him to look down the river – he's there, somewhere! Call him!"  
  
"Sydney..."  
  
"Alex...you know I get strong feelings sometimes about situations, this is one of them. Please call him; I know my instincts are right. Gage left the hospital grounds by using the river."  
  
Syd looked at Alex with such conviction in her eyes that Alex nodded and immediately left the room to head for the lobby where she could use her cell phone.  
  
While she was gone Sydney's doctor came and reluctantly agreed to release her into Erica's care and with the promise that she would stay off her leg. Sydney signed the release paper and the doctor was just leaving as Alex returned.  
  
"What did he say?" Alex and Syd asked each other at the same time.  
  
"You first." Syd laughed nervously, pleased with the doctor's acquiescence, but worried about what the Rangers might have, or have not, found.  
  
"He said that just minutes ago he and Trivette came to the same conclusion - that Gage must have travelled, somehow, down the river. They've completed their search of the wooded area. They are going to start heading south, sticking to the river's edge. If he's there, they'll find him. Okay - now, what did the doctor say?  
  
Smiling again, this time with relief at the news that Walker and Trivette would look for Gage in and along the river, Syd replied.  
  
"You are looking at the ward of Erica Trivette. I have been released into supervised care."  
  
"And she is not allowed to put weight on her leg for at least a week or get it wet for two!" Erica interjected. "I am going to go see the nurses about getting your IV out and getting you a wheelchair, and then we are out of here."  
  
As soon as she had left Sydney turned to Alex.  
  
"Alex if this was Walker missing you'd look yourself wouldn't you?"  
  
"Yes, you know I would but..."  
  
"No Alex, not buts. I need to go out there and find him. He's more than just my partner. I lo..." she stopped short, unsure if she was ready to tell everyone. It was still such a new revelation, even to herself.  
  
"I know honey, you love him."  
  
"You know?" Syd could feel her face flushing. "But how? I've never..."  
  
Smiling tenderly, Alex looked down at her young friend. "I wasn't sure at first, but I've seen how close you two have become." She stopped for a moment and then continued. "He completes you Syd. And you complete him."  
  
Nodding solemnly Sydney looked up at Alex. "Do you think Erica knows?"  
  
Alex nodded as Erica came back into the room, pushing a wheelchair.  
  
"Do I know what?"  
  
"That I love Gage." Syd took the plunge, figuring she was going to have to face all of her friends with this news soon enough.  
  
"Sure I do honey, I've just been waiting for you to realize it." Erica was grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"Okay, well then, you obviously understand how I feel. If this were Walker or Jimmy who was hurt and lost, you'd be out there looking, not waiting around for news. We are going to get out of here, NOW, and we are going to go find Gage." Syd was now back into full Texas Ranger mode. "Alex, get in touch with headquarters for me, we need to charter the company helicopter – Walker and Trivette are out, Gage is missing, that leaves me with the authority to requisition equipment. Don't call and tell Walker – he can kill me later; right now we are going to do whatever it takes to find my partner."  
  
For the second time today Alex nodded, and left this room. This time though, she left at breakneck speed. Suddenly nothing in world seemed as imperative as bringing helping Syd to bring Gage home.  
  
"What can I do?" Erica asked, caught up in Syd's powerful command of the situation and eager to help. Despite the seriousness of the situation, this was rather exciting.  
  
"I need a nurse to take this IV out now or I am going to rip it out myself." Syd threatenly began to tug on the tubing.  
  
"Done! I don't know where the nurse went, she said she was coming." Erica turned and fled the room, as quickly if not quicker, than Alex.  
  
The next few minutes were like a whirlwind. A nurse came and removed Sydney's IV. Erica and the nurse helped Syd to move into the wheelchair without putting any undo pressure on her injured leg, and Erica was rolling the chair out of the room when Alex returned, out of breath.  
  
"It took some convincing, but I did it. The Ranger helicopter is on its way to the hospital to pick us up; it'll be here in about 15 minutes."  
  
"Okay ladies, here we go!" exclaimed Sydney, and with Erica pushing on one side and Alex on the other, the three women headed to the elevator and pushed 'UP'. 


	19. Chapter 19

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 19  
  
When Gage woke from his nap he felt better than he had in days. If only the tightness around his heart that ached to make sure Syd was okay would dissipate, he might actually say that he was doing well. As he emerged from his room he realized that his hosts were both sound asleep, enjoying a siesta during the intense heat of the early-afternoon sun.  
  
A plan immediately formulated in Gage's mind and he sprung into action. He hated to leave his hosts without a chance to repay their kindness, but he needed to find Syd NOW! He looked around the room and grabbed a woven sack hanging near the door. He filled a glass milk jar with water and ensured that the cap was securely screwed on. He added some bread he found on the counter and with a final look around the quiet room, he opened the door and silently slipped out.  
  
Gage headed immediately for the nearly dried up river bed. He climbed down into the gulley created early in the spring when the water did flow through here, and he looked closely at the meagre flow of the water that still ran there to ensure that he headed in the right direction. Once again looking back at the home of the kind strangers who had saved him, and offering a word of thanks to them in prayer, Gage began the long walk back to Texas.  
  
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Following Alex's phone call Walker and Trivette immediately began following the course the river southward and away from the Psychiatric Hospital property. About fifteen minutes earlier they had come to the conclusion that the only way Gage could have left the grounds was via the river and had begun making preparations to follow the river's course. Determining that it was more probable for Gage to have travelled south, they marked their starting point with a red flag and headed off.  
  
As they scoured the banks each wordlessly dreaded that it was a corpse they would find. If Gage had been as badly injured as Sydney believed, it was highly unlikely that he could have survived a trip down this river, which had been a raging torrent the morning after the storm. And even if he had, it had been several days now. It was a very slim chance that their friend and colleague had survived, but both Rangers knew to believe in the unbelievable and to have faith when it seemed like all was lost. They would continue to search for Gage until they found him, dead or alive.  
  
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On the rooftop of the hospital Sydney, Alex and Erica had to wait only minutes for the chopper to arrive. Her friends hoisted Syd, wheelchair and all, up into the cabin as soon as the door had opened, and the pilot thought to himself that he had never seen such an unlikely group of passengers in the 11 years that he had worked on contract for the Texas Rangers.  
  
"Which one of you is Ranger Cooke?" he asked.  
  
"I am." Replied Syd from her wheelchair, as Erica reached around her to strap the chair into place, and as the pilot turned to meet her gaze he took back his original assessment of the situation. This was not some helpless young woman in between the two professionally dressed women; this was a tough and serious Ranger who was clearly not going to let her injuries, whatever they were, get in her way.  
  
"You know the river that runs through the old Psychiatric Hospital?" Syd asked the pilot and he nodded in response. "We need to fly out there and follow that river south. We are looking for my partner; he is out there somewhere and has been injured. He might be quite far south of the hospital property, or not, we don't know. We'll need to fly really low and look closely to see if we can spot him."  
  
As the helicopter lifted off the roof of the hospital Syd felt her hopes rise. She finally felt in control again, and between them in the air and Walker and Trivette on the ground, they were sure to locate Gage. A tiny doubt tinged her thoughts that she might be wrong about the river, but she dismissed the negative thought. Her heart told her that Gage was there, just as it told her that he was still alive. If only she could trust her heart, she had allowed herself to have confidence the feelings of love there since her grandmother's death.  
  
Smiling at her friends, Sydney took each of their hands and squeezed tightly as the chopper headed over Dallas and towards the more rural outskirts.  
  
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Gage walked for a couple of hours in the intense heat of the sun. He walked beneath trees when possible and relished the shade they gave, even if it was only briefly. He stopped a couple of times and took small sips of water from the jar but resisted the cries of his aching body to sit down. Gage didn't think he had ever been more single-minded in his life and then a memory of Syd lying helpless on the floor of the crystal meth lab that time they had infiltrated the biker gang flashed in his mind. He remembered how his heart had raced as he tried to think of how to get her hand free and how determined he had been to knock down that metal table leg when he realized that was his only option. With seconds left to go before the building exploded Gage had known then they he couldn't leave Sydney there - that he would have died saving her.  
  
He would not fail her now, he could not. Surely she was not dead, he would know it in his heart wouldn't he? He had always seemed to have some sort of sixth sense when it came to Syd; it was one of those things that he come to realize made them such good partners. And in fact, his sixth sense was not really giving him any signals right now. That usually meant that things were fine, but what if it meant that she was gone...Gage dismissed that thought and doggedly continued on his way north.  
  
The brown trickle of water that had flowed through the peasant farmer's land was now significantly stronger; it filled the channel and covered Gage's feet up to his ankles. As he sloshed through the water, each step increasingly difficult as his feet sank into the mud, it never occurred to him to walk along the bank of the river. He was past exhaustion, suffering from the ill effects of his shoulder injury and too much time in the sun, all he could think about was that this river was the way home, the way to Syd.  
  
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Walker and Trivette had travelled a significant distance down river, with no success, when the heard the sound of a low flying helicopter. Looking up they could not believe their eyes when they realized it was a Texas Ranger chopper, and were even more astonished when the chopper flew lower and three female heads popped out waving hello.  
  
"Alex? Erica? Sydney!" Walker and Trivette exclaimed in unison.  
  
"I'm going to kill her!" Walker said.  
  
"Who? Sydney?" Trivette asked, absolutely delighted to see his wife up there supporting them in their search. It was an unexpected surprise that made his heart swell with pride.  
  
"Alex!" Walker grinned, despite himself. "And then Sydney. Somehow those two managed to finagle that chopper and get it flown all the way down here. And how they got Sydney released so soon, I'll never..." He looked over at Trivette who was waving goofily up at his wife. "I'll bet that was Erica. I'll kill Erica too!"  
  
"Anything?" Alex yelled down at Walker, knowing he was going to lay into her about this for a while, but his smile as he conversed with Trivette belying any anger he would profess later.  
  
"No sign! Go south, and we'll keep looking here on the ground."  
  
Alex gave them the thumbs up sign, as Syd indicated to the pilot that they need to continue searching along the river. Erica waved goodbye to Trivette as she kept her eyes peeled on the river for signs of Gage.  
  
Looking out the open doorway had been difficult for Syd, trapped as she was in the wheelchair. Undoing the seatbelt that secured her body, but not the chair, Syd moved into a lying position on the floor of the helicopter. She had been happy to see Walker and Trivette but the fact they were alone meant that Gage was still out there, and there was no time to waste.  
  
The helicopter flew right over the river, as slowly as possible, with the doors on both sides open. Syd and Erica looked out one side, and Alex searched out the other.  
  
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Gage sloshed on in the middle of the river, by now it was well over his waist and his progress was very slow. Each step he took was painful, his legs felt like lead weights. His head was throbbing and the inflammation in his shoulder was so severe he could barely move his arm. He had long since abandoned the sack of bottled water, and the bread had been eaten during an early break under a tree. He could think of nothing to do but to move forward, against the current of the steadily increasing volume of water.  
  
He felt the wind begin to pick up and the trees on both banks began to sway. His struggle up the river became even harder; the wind was creating ripples on the water's surface. Slowly the sound of a helicopter penetrated his consciousness and he realized that it was not a natural wind which was making his journey so much more challenging.  
  
"Gage! Oh my God – there he is!" screamed Syd as she suddenly spotted the lonely and bedraggled figure struggling to walk up the river. "He's alive! He's there! Go lower! Go lower!!"  
  
As the helicopter moved lower Gage found it impossible to continue walking. The water was up to his neck now, but waves were being created by the force of the chopper's blades and they were splashing over his head.  
  
"Gage!" he heard his name being screamed. Syd? Was that Syd calling his name? As he looked up at the chopper and caught a glimpse of her long dark hair whipping around her face from the open door of the helicopter, he lost his footing and was suddenly completely submerged.  
  
He struggled to reach the surface again but he had inadvertently swallowed water and found the task nearly impossible. Syd! Syd! He could hear the voice in his head crying out to her, but he couldn't speak. He finally managed to break the surface and inhale a gasp of air when the river swelled over his head again, and he felt himself being pulled under by the current.  
  
"He's drowning!" Syd screamed. "We have to get him! Where's the rope ladder? Let me down, let me down!" She watched helplessly as Gage struggled to keep his head above water, each time disappearing beneath the surface for longer than before.  
  
"No!" Erica spoke firmly as she swiftly removed her shoes and undid her seatbelt. "Back up Sydney, I'm going to jump in and get him. Move the chopper away as soon as I've jumped, the wind its making is causing the biggest problem."  
  
Syd struggled to sit up and move away from the open door to give Erica enough room to stand. Alex leaned down and pulled the frantic Ranger towards her, holding her tightly in her arms.  
  
"One. Two. Three." Erica plugged her nose and jumped feet first into the river.  
  
"Move away! Move away!" Alex yelled to the pilot who immediately pulled the chopper up and to the east where he spotted a clearing large enough to set the chopper down.  
  
As soon as the helicopter landed Alex undid her seatbelt and took off running towards the river. "Stay here Sydney, I have to help Erica."  
  
Knowing her friend made the right decision but incredulous that she had been left alone, Syd struggled unsuccessfully to detach the wheelchair from its safety harness.  
  
"Help me, please!" she begged the pilot. "I have to get to him."  
  
"I'm sorry Ranger. I can't leave the chopper."  
  
"Arrrgggg!" Syd let out a roar of frustration and headed off on foot, uncaring that each step felt like it was ripping the fragile healing tissues in her leg. Syd's awkward walk soon turned into an ungainly run, as she attempted to prevent further injury while moving as quickly as possible. She arrived on the river's edge just in time to see Alex pulling Erica and, yes, Gage from the river.  
  
Gage was coughing and sputtering, his face red from choking on all the water that had tried to pass its way into his lungs. Erica patted Gage on the back and Alex bent down to smooth the wet hair from his face.  
  
Syd froze in place at the scene in front of her. Looking up Gage saw Syd standing there, near the edge of the forest and he clambered to his feet.  
  
"Syd!" his voice was hoarse and scratchy. It was the most wonderful sound in the universe.  
  
Breaking free of her trance Syd clumsily ran towards Gage as he stumbled towards her. They met somewhere in the middle, a joyous crush of arms and legs that fell to the ground as each gave in to the comfort that only their love for each other could give them.  
  
Sobbing fiercely now, Syd held Gage close to her chest, as his arms circling her waist. Buried in her warmth Gage felt Syd's tears raining upon his head and he felt his own eyes soaking what dry parts remained of her shirt.  
  
"I love you, I love you." She whispered. "I was so scared, I thought I lost you." She rocked Gage back and forth, her body shaking with all the pent up emotion of the past few days.  
  
Gage strained to sit up in her arms, reaching his hands up to cup her face and look her deep in the eyes. "That's never going to happen Syd. I love you too much to ever leave you." He captured her lips with his own, salt from their tears mingling with the river water dripping from Gage's hair. He pulled her close to his chest and she held him fiercely, each unsure of where one body started and the other began.  
  
This was the scene that Walker and Trivette burst into moments later. The young Rangers clutched together in their intimate, emotional embrace; Alex and a dripping wet Erica standing near the river's edge, best friends with their arms around each other shoulder's, smiling at the young couple and proud of their involvement in the rescue.  
  
Walker and Trivette moved swiftly over to their wives and embraced them tightly, each aware of how precious life is and how close they came to losing one of their own today.  
  
Slowly the two couples came back to reality and Walker radioed HQ for a medical chopper. Walking back to the Ranger helicopter Alex recovered Erica's shoes and a blanket to wrap her in. She brought a second blanket which she placed tightly around Syd and Gage who were unwilling, and in actuality physically unable, to move from the location where they had landed.  
  
Wrapped in each other's embrace, and secure in the knowledge that their friends were with them, Sydney and Gage gave into the pain of the injuries they had sustained and by the time the medical team arrived, they were both blessedly unconscious. 


	20. Conclusion

Morning Star  
  
Chapter 20  
  
Syd woke up more than a day later in the hospital and lamented to herself that this seemed to be becoming a habit, one she would like very much to quit. But this time she was neither agitated nor despondent, for as she looked around her room her eyes lit upon the one form she wanted to see more than anything – Gage.  
  
He was lying in the room's other bed, his eyes closed but his head turned towards her. Above the sounds of the various medical monitors and the steady flow of oxygen through the tubes in his nose, Syd could hear him steadily breathing. She smiled to herself as she remembered how wonderful it had been to feel him in her arms again after Erica had pulled him from the river. He had told her again that he loved her and in doing so had vaporized all the fears and doubts she'd had about opening her heart to him. Whatever pain and suffering they had gone through, this love was worth it.  
  
She wanted to touch him again. She needed to touch him. She wanted to brush those stray hairs from his forehead, she wanted to hold his hand, and she wanted to not just hear, but feel, him breathing. As Syd sat up she realized that for once she was not strictly confined to her bed. No myriad of tubes or machines held her in place, though her tightly bound leg was stiff and she had great difficulty moving it. She reached down to her side for the buzzer and called for assistance.  
  
A young nurse entered the room a few minutes later and smiled with delight at seeing one of her patients awake. She helped Syd down from the bed and to the washroom, then led her back to the chair beside Gage's bed.  
  
"Thank you." Syd said, as the nurse helped her settle. "How is he doing?"  
  
"He was dehydrated and suffering from heat exhaustion when he was brought in, and he had an infection in his shoulder, which if left untreated could have caused some complications. But we've been able to stabilize it with a treatment of antibiotics. He's very lucky, it looks like he had some help – the gunshot wounds had been cleaned and dressed."  
  
"Has he woken up yet?"  
  
"No, but that's normal. His breathing and his heart rate is normal, he'll wake up when his body has had enough rest. Now you take it easy too, your body will need plenty of rest before you can be discharged."  
  
"Thanks. I'm fine." As long as Gage is here with me, I'm fine, thought Syd. She sat beside him, reaching over to finally touch his brow, run her fingers through his sandy brown hair. He stirred as if suddenly restless and Syd quieted him with a "Shhhh, its okay, I'm here."  
  
As she sat there staring at him, she felt her stomach begin to jumble in knots. For the first time since admitting their love for one another Syd realized that their world was about to change. No longer would they just be best friends and partners, they were heading down a path to become lovers. What did that hold in store for them? Secret kisses and private dates or an open relationship in front of their friends? And down the road, would they move in together? Get married? Have children? The thought sent warm tingles through her body; she had never really considered having children before. She had a sudden image of Gage sitting on a picnic blanket at a park, holding a tiny pink bundle in his arms. He was laughing and smiling, and pointing at the swings, where Syd herself came into view pushing a young boy. They waved back at Gage and the infant, a perfect day and a happy family.  
  
"Oh Gage." She spoke softly. "Wake up. We have so much to talk about."  
  
"Syd..." Gage turned his head and captured her hand with his own. He looked at her, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "You okay?"  
  
"Oh Gage!" Syd stood up as best she could and flung her arms around him. "I'm fine, I'm just fine."  
  
He wrapped his arms securely around her, vaguely aware that his left shoulder was stiff and throbbed with a dull ache. She felt so good, so right, he didn't ever want to let her go.  
  
But he did, for at that moment the door burst open and in walked the remaining members of their Ranger family. Alex and Erica let out squeals of delight to see their friends awake and well, Trivette let out a loud noise that sounded something like a 'yeehaw', and Walker stood back in the shadows grinning silently. If any body could survive what they had gone through, these two could. It was apparent that they had taken the leap to moving beyond best friends, and Walker vowed to himself to do everything he could to make sure they stayed partners. But that would come later, now it was time to celebrate.  
  
Syd settled back in her chair, seeking Gage's hand as soon as the hugs were over. Gage clamped her small hand in his own, squeezing tightly to make sure she was real. She looked over at him and smiled, his joy reflected his own typical Gage grin. Their friends settled in around them filling Gage in about Syd and Walker's rescue from Rebecca Jenkins, and asking Gage about his experiences. As he told them about the kind Mexican couple and his journey up the river, Syd looked over and out the window.  
  
The morning sun streamed in but brighter than that, framed in the middle of the window, glimmering with its own intense light was her morning star. From that star Syd felt the love of her parents and her grandmother shining down upon her, and she thanked them for giving her the strength to open up her heart. There were many mornings ahead of her and many more times when she would need the luck of the morning star to help her survive. But its constant presence in her life meant that whenever she lost her way all she needed to do was look up and its radiance would lead her home.  
  
The End 


End file.
